Bayern Munich 0-3 Liverpool: Reds impress to beat German giants and reach Audi Cup final as Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Daniel Sturridge score

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Sadio Mane provided a thrilling reminder of what Liverpool missed last season as he led Liverpool into the final of the Audi Cup.

Though Liverpool ultimately clambered into the top four, Mane’s absence through injury was keenly felt in the closing weeks but, on the evidence he provided against a startled Bayern Munich, he has returned better than ever.

There was a sting in the tail for Jurgen Klopp, however, who saw Daniel Sturridge sustain what appeared to be a thigh injury as he scored the final goal in a comprehensive 3-0 dismantling of their distinguished hosts. 

Sadio Mane watches on after placing the ball over Javi Martinez and Sven Ulreich to give Liverpool the lead against Bayern

Mane is congratulated by Philippe Coutinho (left) after putting the Reds ahead in the Audi Cup at the Allianz Arena

The Senegal international jumps for joy at the corner flag and impressed for Liverpool during Tuesday's pre-season friendly

Emre Can speaks with the goalscorer as Liverpool ramped up their pre-season preparations against the German giants

The Liverpool team congratulate Mane who starred in a confidence-boosting victory against the Bundesliga champions

Mo Salah heads in at the back post to double Liverpool's advantage after Alberto Moreno's initial shot was saved

The Egyptian headed home to continue his fine scoring record for Liverpool - the winger has netted in every pre-season game

Goalscorers Salah and Mane are pictured together after the former doubled the Reds advantage in the Audi Cup clash

Marko Grujic looks on as it appeared he had put Liverpool three up off the post but the goal was later ruled out

Daniel Sturridge came off the bench to score an exquisite lob late on but had to be substituted just minutes later

The Reds attacker made the score 3-0 late on but appeared to grimace and hold his thigh in pain before being replaced

Mane opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a wonderful finish and then provided a piece of magic to create for the second as Liverpool blitzed Carlo Ancelotti’s team, scoring three unanswered goals to set up a collision tonight with Atletico Madrid, who had earlier beaten Napoli 2-1

You could sense in Klopp’s tone in the pre-tournament press conference that this game carried great importance, both from a personal and professional point of view; he wanted to see where Liverpool stood against one of the pre-eminent names in Europe.

You could sense in Klopp’s tone in the pre-tournament press conference that this game carried great importance, both from a personal and professional point of view; his affinity for and association with Borussia Dortmund guarantees trips to Munich are never friendly.

This occasion also had parallels with Liverpool’s tussle with Barcelona at Wembley last August in that it was a grand occasion and a test against one of the giants of European football, a chance for Klopp to see how his side measured up.

On the evidence they provided, particularly in the opening period, they stand up favourably. Bayern, who contest the German Super Cup this Saturday, are much further on in their preparations than Barcelona were 12 months ago but they had no answer to Liverpool’s flying start.

The first goal arrived in the sixth minute. The hosts had attempted to hem Liverpool back but, in the blink of an eye, Klopp’s midfielders pounced to regain possession, Roberto Firmino was sent scuttling forward and his pass was clinically dispatched by Mane.

How he enjoyed the moment. Mane only returned to action last Saturday in Berlin, having badly damaged his knee in the Merseyside Derby on April 1, but there are no signs of rust and the way he angled his left-footed finish to deceive Bayern goalkeeper Sven Ulreich was stamped with class. 

Bayern new boy James Rodriguez, signed on a two-season long loan deal from Real Madrid, controls the ball with his left boot

Egyptian Salah pokes the ball forward with his boot under growing pressure from Bayern left back David Alaba

Roberto Firmino, a former Bundesliga star with Hoffenheim, takes a tumble under the challenge of Corentin Tolisso

The Brazilian caused the Germans problems and, here, had to be stopped by Renato Sanches who slides in for possession

Frenchman Tolisso, signed from Lyon this summer, looks full of concentration as he gets his angles right to head the ball

Bayern had a lot of the ball but they never looked like troubling Liverpool and Klopp will have been encouraged with how they defended, not least young Trent Alexander-Arnold, the 18-year-old who is set to begin the Premier League campaign at Watford; he was never flustered by this stage.

If anything, Liverpool looked the most likely team to add to their advantage and only an inspired piece of goalkeeping by Ulreich – stretching his fingers to the limit – stopped Alberto Moreno’s dipping free-kick from finding the top corner of the net.

Moreno could move this summer but he played like someone who wants to prolong his career on Merseyside and he was heavily involved in the second goal, which left Bayern’s players looking at each other in disbelief.

It was Mane, though, who provided the magic, his drag-back and back heel flummoxing Bayern defender Javi Martinez and allowing Moreno to hammer in a shot; once again, Ulreich was equal to the task but this time Salah was on hand to head home the rebound. 

Bayern forward Thomas Muller, who this week welcome the arrival of James Rodriguez, shouts orders to his team-mates

Firmino climbs high above Javi Martinez but is beaten to the ball by the versatile Spaniard during the second half

Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson attempts to keep up with Muller who sprays a pass wide with his right foot

It looked when Liverpool signed Salah that they had been held to ransom by AS Roma and paid an excessive fee for a player whose only previous experience of Premier League football was a floundering one at Chelsea.

That, however, was his fourth goal in five matches for Salah and the pace he provides in those jet-heeled bursts from the halfway line will cause headaches for many, many teams. This looks to be a quality addition.

Quality is something you have never doubted about Sturridge and his form in training has impressed his team-mates. The only question that surrounds him is his physical fragility and, to his huge frustration, another problem surfaced at the wrong time.

Sturridge had only been on the field minutes when Ben Woodburn sent him through. His chipped finish was exquisite but he immediately pulled up lame. It remains to be seen how serious the matter is but his expression as he hobbled off said everything.

Jurgen Klopp barks orders in the light rain at the Allianz Arena as the Merseyside club sailed into a 2-0 lead at the break

Carlo Ancelotti looks on as Thiago Alcantara is tended to after he was injured - he was replaced by fellow midfielder Sanches

Hasan Salihamidzic, a former Bayern player and the club's new sport director, makes his point on the bench prior to kick-off