Hoffenheim’s first outing in the Champions League did not go as planned – after losing against a Liverpool team featuring German international, Emre Can, and German head coach, Jürgen Klopp, Julian Nagelsmann’s side need a score of 2-1 or higher at Antfield to reach the group stage. This might prove to be a tall order though – no German team has ever won at the Reds’ home ground.
Liverpool’s opening goal came after 35 minutes when Trent Alexander-Arnold, barely 18 years old, curled a delicious free-kick past the goalkeeper. James Milner added to the Reds’ advantage in the 73rd minute, his cross coming off Havard Nordtveit as the defender jumped to block it. Up until that point, TSG had dominated large parts of the game, creating many goal-scoring opportunities, but Andrej Kramaric missing a penalty after 12 minutes, his shot saved by Simon Mignolet, was a crucial moment. Marc Uth gave Hoffenheim fans something to cling on to with three minutes to go, taking the ball down exquisitely on his chest and smashing past Mignolet.
Hoffenheim begin on the front foot
TSG took the game to Liverpool early on in their first Champions League performance and looked the more likely team to score, playing with real intensity and purpose in front of 25’568 fans, amongst them national head coach, Joachim Löw.
It was fast and furious – after Kramaric’s missed penalty, Mohamed Salah seized on a mistake from TSG captain-on-the-night Kevin Vogt to burst forward, only narrowly sending the ball wide of the post. Liverpool grew into the game as the half progressed.
Six changes after the cup match
Nagelsmann made six changes to the side that won 1-0 against Rot-Weiss Essen in the DFB-Pokal. In came Confederations Cup winner, Serge Gnabry, on loan from Bayern Münich, who together with Kramaric and Sandro Wagner made up the front striking partnership. Gnabry had a quiet first half, but it was he who won the penalty, before having a good chance just before the break.
In the second half Wagner tried to rally TSG by appealing to the fans, but in truth the Hoffenheim defence did well to deal with the marauding Salah and a Liverpool side increasing in confidence.