sport news How Liverpool's trio of Mane, Firmino and Salah compares to football's greatest ... trends now
They say everything in life comes in threes. In football, the best attacks certainly do.
It was arguably Pep Guardiola's revolution at Barcelona that has resulted in the trident becoming a deadly force in modern football, overtaking the duo in the process. Of course, managers tinker every game, but the trio is here to stay.
For years, Barcelona dazzled with their deadly M-S-N link-up, namely the heavyweight unit made up of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar. PSG have looked to build something similar at great expense, but so far have fallen incredibly short.
Liverpool boasted one of the best attacking trios in world football before they were torn apart
Meanwhile, Liverpool managed to piece together one of the most potent three-man striking teams in the history of football, although it has been ripped apart this week.
That is because Sadio Mane has left the club for Bayern Munich, having expressed his desire for a new challenge. Alongside Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, he helped bring silverware to Anfield, and departed on good terms as a fan favourite.
But which, statistically, is the best front three in the sport? Sportsmail takes a look.
Sadio Mane's departure for Bayern Munich brought an end to their trophy-winning spell
Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
105 league games played, 144 goals
Their first season as a trio saw them reach the Champions League final.
Incredibly, the trident hit 30 goals, 10 each, on their way to the blockbuster in Ukraine. That was the most by three team-mates in any edition of the tournament.
Over the following years, they went on to win the Premier League, the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup and the Club World Cup, as well as the Champions League.
In total, they played 105 league games as an attacking unit, stretching back to the 2017-18 campaign. Individually, Salah, to little surprise, leads the way with 65 goals and 21 assists. Behind him, the departing Mane scored 44 goals and set up 17 more.
Firmino, meanwhile, netted a still-impressive 35 goals and recorded 16 assists.
As a trio, they combined for 54 league goals, a key factor behind their success.
In total, Salah, Firmino and Mane played 105 league games together, and scored 144 goals
Gareth Bale/Karim Benzema/Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
69 league games played, 158 goals
This trio have won the Champions League a sensational four times, with each of the stars - Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo - proving equally crucial.
They arrived as a riposte to Barcelona's formidable MVP, and were every bit as effective. Scoring goals for fun, they ensured Madrid remained serial winners.
Bale endured a low-key ending to his career at the Bernabeu, which came as a great shame considering his heroics in his early years there, especially in his first season.
A cup double arrived in his maiden year, with Bale scoring key goals in both finals.
At their fizzing best, they were untouchable. They won the Copa del Rey in 2013/13, the UEFA Super Cup three times and the FIFA Club World Cup on four occasions.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema won the Champions League four times
Memorably, they lifted LaLiga in 2016/17, but will have wanted more league glory.
Their statistics, when broken down, make for fascinating reading.
Ronaldo tops the charts for the trio, having scored 80 goals and registered 28 assists. Team-mates Benzema and Bale netted 41 and 37 goals respectively.
As for teeing up team-mates, both Bale and Benzema have 22 assists each.
In LaLiga, they combined for 70 goals, bettering the total of Liverpool's three.
Wayne Rooney/Cristiano Ronaldo/Carlos Tevez (Manchester United)
21 league games played, 40
