Hoffenheim vs Liverpool - as it happened: Reds beat German opponents 2-1 to close in on group stages
Re-live all the action from the Rhein-Neckar Arena
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Your support makes all the difference.Liverpool take on Hoffenheim in tonight's Champions League first-leg qualifier as Jurgen Klopp's men bid to book their spot in the group stages of Europe's elite competition.
- It would be 'awful' if Philippe Coutinho left Liverpool for Barcelona, says teammate Roberto Firmino
- Jordan Henderson looking to use the pain of Liverpool's last European experience to his advantage
- Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits Emre Can situation 'not perfect' with midfielder stuck in contract impasse
- Liverpool don't concede the most goals from corners, but there is still a big problem that Virgil van Dijk won't fix
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Preview
It’s a big game for…
Dejan Lovren. Liverpool’s defence has been heavily criticised this week after shipping three goals away to Watford on Saturday and Lovren, as the most experienced player in that backline, needs to show some leadership and organisational skills if the Reds are to avoid a similar fate here.
Liverpool’s summer-long pursuit of Virgil van Dijk has been public, messy and looks like it could still prove fruitless. A big performance from Lovren on Tuesday night would help assuage Liverpool fans’ fears that they can’t possibly cope this season without a new addition at the back.
Best stat…
Hoffenheim were unbeaten in all 17 home matches in the Bundesliga last season.
Remember when…
The last time Liverpool played a German team in European competition. A Europa League quarter-final tie against Jurgen Klopp’s former side Borussia Dortmund saw the Reds secure a 1-1 draw in the first-leg before winning a memorable encounter back at Anfield. Late goals from Philippe Coutinho, Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren saw Liverpool come back from two goals down to win 4-3 – and saw Klopp dumbfounded on the touchline…
Player to watch…
Serge Gnabry. The former Arsenal youngster was snapped up by Bayern Munich this summer after hitting 11 goals in 27 matches for Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga last term. A technically-gifted winger with a sharp turn of pace and an eye for goal, Gnabry has been sent on loan to Hoffenheim for the season in order to get more first-team experience.
While the 22-year-old never quite showed his potential in England he will have an opportunity on Tuesday to show the Premier League what it’s missing. And, as he told Kicker magazine this week, he is up for the challenge: "If you come up against a former club or, in my case, return to England, there's definitely a bit more excitement in the pot.”
Predicted teams...
Hoffenheim (3-1-4-2): Baumann, Nordtveit, Vogt, Bicakcic, Polanski, Zuber, Demirbay, Amiri, Gnabry, Kramaric, Wagner
Liverpool (4-3-3): Mignolet, Milner, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Matip, Can, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Mane, Salah, Firmino
Form guide…
Hoffenheim: WDWLWD
Liverpool: DWWDWL
Vital information…
Kick-off time: 19:45 BST on Tuesday
TV: Live on BT Sport 2
Odds…
Hoffenheim: 12/5
Liverpool: 5/4
Draw: 11/4
46 mins Fermino should put the ball in the back of the net as Mane lays the ball on a plate for the former Hoffenheim striker who shoot at the goalkeeper.
48 mins: Gnabry has the ball in the back of the net for Hoffenheim but the offside flag is up.
50 mins: Can takes a yellow card to halt a counter attack. Hoffenheim make the first changes of the evening, former West Ham midfielder Nordveit and Amiri come on for Rupp and Bičakčić.
Once again Moreno is confused and thinks he's playing as a left winger, Liverpool are suffering on that side.
54 mins: Alexander-Arnold talks his way into the referee's book and picks up a yellow card for a spot of dissent.
Just in case you couldn't quite believe how well Alexander-Arnold is doing...
Owen Hargreaves on BT Sport: "Its a terrific position to be in. Mane's been a threat Alexander-Arnold has been a threat. We haven't seen as much from Firmino as we normally do."
62 mins: Milner joins the action in place of Henderson. Is Moreno lucky to stay on? I'd say so.
65 mins: Kramaric squeezes a low cross to Gnabry who fires high and wide. Liverpool hit back and win a corner which comes to nothing.
69 mins: Hoffenheim throw their last roll of the dice and bring on Uth in place of Gnabry. Meanwhile Can wins it in midfield and feeds the ball to Salah who forces a corner from the goalkeeper. The resulting set piece finds Lovren who heads into the gloves of Baumann.
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