Hoffenheim 1 Liverpool 2: Trent Alexander-Arnold stars as visitors take precious lead to Anfield

As a Liverpool prodigy from his early years, Trent Alexander-Arnold grew up at the club in the days that Steven Gerrard would rescue a European night with a swipe of his right boot, so when it came to doing it himself, the 18-year-old at least knew what a great goal should look like.

That he could do it himself, with Liverpool’s backs to the wall in the first leg of this Champions League qualifier, says a great deal about the quality of a teenager whom Gerrard himself has picked out for greatness. Alexander-Arnold will also know that the club do not always make things easy for themselves and although they left Germany with a victory, it could have been so much better were it not for substitute Mark Uth’s late goal.

Jurgen Klopp said later he would have taken a win before the game on any terms, “even 8-7”, especially against a Hoffenheim team that had not lost at home all last season. But it would also be fair to say that Liverpool were confronted with enough of their own weaknesses over the course of one first leg that they cannot take for granted their place among the Champions League group stages at Anfield next Wednesday.

This first leg belonged in part to Alexander-Arnold who scored a fine right-footed free-kick before the break, his first goal for the club and coming in the teeth of a fine Hoffenheim performance which had seen them dominate the first half. Over the course of the evening, Jamie Carragher tweeted a picture of him captaining Liverpool on a day when Alexander-Arnold was mascot alongside him, the baton passed from one local boy to another, although Carragher never got to take any free-kicks.

Yet Alexander-Arnold was also there with his hand in the air when Uth scored the goal, an appeal that Klopp had to concede was misguided and there were times when his defence, under some pressure, was chaotic. Klopp said that they permitted Hoffenheim to have much of the possession with the proviso that they would defend when it came into the dangerous areas.

When the substitute James Milner helped put Liverpool two goals ahead with a cross that was deflected in by Hoffenheim defender Havard Nordtveit it looked like this Champions League qualifier was over, a story of the home team’s profligacy and Liverpool’s capacity to take their chances, but it remains alive when the Germans come to Anfield next Wednesday.

This Hoffenheim team led by their 30-year-old coach Julian Nagelsmann are impressive and if they had taken half their chances then they would have departed for Merseyside next week leading this tie. Instead they missed a penalty, hit the post and generally squandered so much of the patient and intelligent build up play of a first half which they dominated in many aspects right up to Benjamin Hubner planting a header over the bar with seconds left.

Afterwards, Klopp and Nagelsmann were interviewed side-by-side in the studio of German broadcaster ZDF, and while they share the same agent there was a spikiness to the younger man’s response to his opposite number’s game plan. Asked about Klopp’s assertion that Liverpool let their opponents have the ball at times, Nagelsmann said, “Well he would say that, he has to defend his team, he won’t say ‘Hoffenheim played so well and we were s***’.”

As for Liverpool, Sadio Mane, their irrepressible attacking talent on the left wing was superb, winning the free-kicks that led to both goals. His first half marker Ermin Bicakcic was taken off well before the hour with a bad case of twisted blood and you were left wondering what Mane will do when he is fully fit.

There is an echo in this Hoffenheim team of what you imagine Klopp would like Liverpool to be, and in the first half there was no question that the home team were superior but they missed every chance that came their way.

That included an 11^th minute penalty hit by the former Leicester City man Andrej Kramaric, a limp waist-high effort slightly to the left of Simon Mignolet that the goalkeeper pushed away easily. At that point of the game, Klopp’s team looked all at sea, unsure whether to press Hoffenheim’s possession game and unable to cope with the speed of their passing through the middle.

It told you all you needed to know about Liverpool’s shape – and Alberto Moreno’s positional play – that the left-back was closing down goalkeeper Oliver Baumann when he cleared the ball upfield for the move that led to the penalty. Hoffenheim came down the left side of Liverpool’s defence with Moreno absent and then a poor challenge from Dejan Lovren on Serge Gnabry, formerly of Arsenal, now on loan from Bayern Munich conceded the spot-kick.

Mohamad Salah went clean through on 15 minutes on the end of Roberto Firmino’s pass although the Egyptian never really got into his blistering stride and he was one step from being caught by Kevin Vogt, the Hoffenheim captain, before he launched an unconvincing shot wide.

Vogt was outstanding for his team, the playmaker in the middle of the back three and, as a former midfielder, extremely composed on the ball. He and Hubner directed the attacks left and then right and once they worked the ball into the middle the likes of Kerem Demirbay and Lukas Rupp were sharp enough to move it quickly under pressure.

Bicakcic, the Bosnian right-sided centre-half, brought down Mane after he twisted past three tackles on 34 minutes. Alexander-Arnold looked like the decoy for Emre Can until the 18-year-old stepped up himself and slotted a right foot shot into the far corner.

By the end of first half, Nagelsmann had his team locking Liverpool up in their own half with a full press that put the pressure on Klopp’s team’s passing. Yet the relentlessness of their approach had to yield at some point and by the midway point of the second half it slipped.

Klopp said he wanted to give Henderson a breather after a tough pre-season back from injury and Milner, his replacement, had a notable effect. His cross went in with the help of a major deflection off the chest of substitute Nordveit, the Norwegian formerly of West Ham. Mane won a free-kick that was taken quickly and went out from Firmino to Milner on the left. It was a cross to the back post but the contact with Nordveit took it past the goalkeeper Baumann.

Then came the late push from Hoffenheim and Uth’s well-taken strike while Alexander-Arnold appealed for offside, which was one moment of exuberant youthful optimism that Liverpool could have done without.

10:04PM

Klopp is happy with his 'little hero'

"I don't want to concede like this. Yes we had chances to close the game earlier.

"Hoffenheim had a specific plan to play, we dealt with it well and then they started playing the diagonal balls [...] and that was a little bit dangerous [...] but always when we played football we found the spaces."

On Alexander-Arnold:

"It was good eh? It was good. What can I say? He only plays because he's good! Offensively he's nice to watch and defensively he was good today but of course that is the challenge to improve and the development. He needs a long ice bath, a warm bed and recovery."

"It was actually my idea (for Alexander-Arnold to take the free-kick), I don't want to take credit. Him and Woodburn do it in training. If Phil is on the pitch then weeeesh."

9:45PM

Analysis

Liverpool were really lucky in that first half but deserved to lead the second right up until about the 75th minute, when everything slowed down and Hoffenheim got back into it. That goal changes everything and for all the attacking prowess Klopp's team will have at Anfield, it's surely nailed on that Hoffenheim score at least one. If it is just the one, at the moment Liverpool have a massive advantage with their two away goals. I suspect they'll need to score to make sure they get through.

9:38PM

FULL TIME

Great game. Open, attacking, lots of lovely touches and skill all over the pitch - it's what Champions League football should be. Only one of these teams will get the chance to be in that competition and at the moment, Liverpool have a big advantage.

9:37PM

90 mins +3

Grujic steams in to close down a shot on the edge of the area and catches Demirbay, who stays on the ground for a while after. He hops off the pitch to get treatment and is clearly in a bit of pain here but there are seconds left and his teammates play on. 

9:35PM

90 mins +2

SO CLOSE! UTH HAS TO SCORE! It's a free header from a free-kick (HOW?!) but he powers it over the bar.

9:34PM

90 mins +1

Hoffenheim can tell there's something for them in this game now. Liverpool have dropped deeper and aren't pressing with the same energy, and balls into the box are causing defenders to panic. Liverpool are rushing into tackles and could do with just calming down and getting back into shape.

9:31PM

GOOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLL!

OOCHA BEASTIES!

Hoffenheim 1 (Uth 88') - 2 Liverpool

What a hit that was! Liverpool just drop the energy levels a little bit, switch off as the ball is launched from right to left and Lovren plays Uth onside! HGis first touch on the chest is stunning and sets himself up for the finish, which he buries in the bottom corner. Brilliant goal.

9:30PM

87 mins

Milner's goal has now officially been given as an own goal. 

9:28PM

85 mins

It should be 3-0. That's so wasteful from Liverpool! Salah has space to run into and Mane has a head start behind his marker on the left, moving to full speed to get in behind him and onto a through ball from Salah. The pass is perfectly weighted but Mane takes forever to line his shot up and then blasts it wide anyway.

Solanke is on for Firmino.

9:26PM

83 mins

Mane is still going. He must be awful to play against - you can't let him out of your sight for a second. Salah has been disappointing though and fails to take the ball past a player on the halfway line. Hoffenheim can attack! Mignolet has to dive to prevent a shot finding the back of the net. 

9:24PM

80 mins

Liverpool are totally in charge now. By chasing the game, Hoffenheim are leaving space for them to attack.

9:21PM

78 mins

Liverpool are in charge now. Klopp is furious that Hoffenheim get away with preventing another quick free-kick being taken because Milner was again in miles of space. 

9:20PM

GOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!

HOLY JAMES MILNER! Did he mean that?

Hoffenheim 0 - 2 (Milner 74') Liverpool

A free-kick is taken early and Milner is in miles of space on the left, cuts onto his right and wants to pick out Salah at the back post but the ball tucks into the top corner of the net! The keeper is stranded! Replays show it takes a deflection buuuuuuuut it still looks nice.

9:17PM

74 mins

Moreno crosses in a free-kick from the left but it's headed over the bar. 

Liverpool are trying to prevent Hoffenheim from playing out from the back. They've been much better in this second half. And the counter is on.

9:14PM

72 mins

LOVREN heads the ball straight at the goalkeeper. If you read that sentence like the old ISS 98 commentator it sounds better in your head. It does in mine, anyway.

9:14PM

71 mins

Alexander-Arnold controls the ball and takes it forward in the final third before being blocked off by the box and going down. That should be a free-kick but the referee awards a goal kick.

Salah switches the ball for Moreno but even the pacy Spaniard can't reach it.

And then an error in defence gives puts Salah in behind! He's wide right and takes a low show but it's poor and easily saved.

Substitution: Gnabry off, Uth on.

9:11PM

68 mins

Liverpool deal with that corner and another well. I don't understand the point in sending long, high balls forward to Salah. He's never going to win them in the air and it's just handing possession back to Hoffenheim. 

They get to the final third, pull the ball back to Gnabry and smashes a shot over the bar. Liverpool get forward and win a corner. It's headed clear.

9:08PM

65 mins

James Milner is going to come on for Liverpool and it's very likely that will be for Moreno, who although quick and dangerous on the counter, is a mistake waiting to happen when the game is poised like this. Milner will add some calm to that full-back role. Hoffenheim are pressing high up the pitch still and win a free-kick as Mane goes in a little hard.

And it's not Moreno who comes off, it's Henderson. Perhaps he's feeling the heat a little. And straight after he's on, Gnabry runs into space left vacant on the left! Corner for Hoffenheim.

Alexander-Arnold does well on the left to block a cross and gives away another corner. 

9:04PM

62 mins

Nordtveit has gone down hurt after a clash with Mane, trying to reach a low ball into the box from Alexander-Arnold. He might have done his ankle here.

9:02PM

59 mins

Liverpool want to hit Hoffenheim on the counter-attack and are defending deeper in their own half now. There's no need to go for the old gegenpress - they've got an away goal and just need to make sure they keep the score the same. By sitting back they may well find space to run into and with Mane in this kind of form, they can take advantage of it.

8:59PM

56 mins

Alexander-Arnold is booked for dissent, and it's stupid. He throws his arms like Kevin the Teenager from Harry Enfield as a throw goes against him. Hoffenheim are looking for a way back into this one and are passing the ball quickly.

8:57PM

53 mins

Mane is incredible to watch at times. He faces up to the defender, drops the shoulder and bursts into top speed from nothing, going past his man and into the box. The goalkeeper has to save low this time and does really well not to turn the ball into the path of a striker. Bicakcic is taken off, presumably because he keeps being done by Mane.

 Rupp also makes way and is replaced by Nadiem Amiri.

8:54PM

51 mins

Salah isn't quick enough or strong enough to get on the end of a superb Wijnaldum pass across the pitch. He's not actually as fast as he looks...

Hoffenheim have scored! But it's offside. Gnabry gets onto a jabbed pass from Wagner and finishes well past Mignolet but it doesn't count.

8:51PM

48 mins

Hoffenheim start in exactly the same way as they did the first and a quick one-two completely undoes the Liverpool defence. The final ball isn't quite good enough and Liverpool can clear, then winning an offside decision. 

The ball is played long from the back and unsurprisingly, Salah doesn't win the header. 

Sane is in here! He gets down the left and runs past his the defender into the box. The pass sets up Firmino for a tap in and somehow the Brazilian misses! His low poke at the ball puts into the goalkeeper and Hoffenheim survive! That should be 2-0.

8:49PM

KICK-OFF 2

We're back.

8:44PM

A goalkeeper dissects a goalkeeper

8:43PM

Liverpool's stand-out players

He's one but Sadio Mane has been immense so far. Considering how much players are being transferred for at the moment, he's basically a bargain at £34m and has been terrorising the Hoffenheim defence. When he goes inside they try to foul him, when he goes outside he's able to sprint past his man. 

8:40PM

Gerrard on Alexander-Arnold

"I think he'll be a top, top player and Nathaniel Clyne will have to watch out because he's breathing down his neck. He hasn't forgotten where he's from. I remember him coming down to the academy and asking the head of the academy 'where can I improve, what can I do better?'."

8:38PM

The free-kick

8:32PM

HALF TIME

Lovren is inches away from making it 2-0 with a header from a corner, nodding it back across goal and away from the goalkeeper, and that's the last action of the half. Liverpool are fortunate to be ahead here.

8:31PM

45 mins +1

Hoffenheim are pushing for an equaliser before the break. They've started trying long diagonal balls over the top from deep into space and hare having a lot of fun with it - Liverpool are so nervy in defence. Nobody looks assured at all. 

8:29PM

44 mins

WHAT A SAVE BY MIGNOLET! Liverpool are all over the place in defence and Hoffenheim outnumber the defenders three to two! Moreno is alone at the back for a minute and has to go up against a striker to win a header, the ball bounces loose and after a magnificent save from close range, the follow up shot hits the post and bounces out! It should be 1-1.

8:26PM

42 mins

Alexander-Arnold is brimming with confidence tonight and making some great attacking runs down the right flank. Henderson or Can are dropping between the two centre-backs to allow the wing-backs to get down those flanks. 

Firmino has just tricked his way past a defender by disguising a little touch to himself as a backheel pass and I don't understand why both BT Sport commentators aren't amazing by it. He nutmegged the defender and everything!

Demirbay might have to go off injured after picking up a knock at the halfway line. He's back up and running for now though.

8:23PM

39 mins

How will Hoffenheim respond? So far the answer is: not amazingly well, Gary. Can gets a shot in from 25 yards as space opens up in the final third, Matip steps across to intercept a pass down the wing. Liverpool keep the ball and move up the pitch.

8:22PM

GOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL!

WOW! Alexander-Arnold has just hit a brilliant free-kick into the bottom corner! The goalkeeper doesn't even move! 

Hoffenheim 0 - 1 (Alexander-Arnold 36') Liverpool

That line is a little off but gives an idea of how he hit that one. Superb.

8:20PM

35 mins

Mane has been great so far. He darts into a tiny bit of space and draws the foul from Bicakcic, who is booked. Mane's rolling around the floor probably helps with that decision. Free-kick in a dangerous area for Liverpool!

8:17PM

33 mins

Mane has been Liverpool's best player by far. Hoffenheim don't really know how to stop him and haven't been able to so far but his final ball hasn't been good enough. Hoffenheim are able to get the ball up the pitch quickly after intercepting a loose Mane pass but Wagner's attempted shot is blocked.

Liverpool could do with keeping the ball for a bit here and are trying it, with Henderson dropping between the centre-backs. Hoffenheim have everyone else marked. There's not enough movement.

8:14PM

30 mins

Salah tries to nick the ball from Hubner and catches him as the defender spins to keep the ball. The referee asks Hubner to cool his jets because he gets a little bit too angry with that one, Clive.

The free-kick is curled into the middle and cleared. Hoffenheim keep the ball. This Hoffenheim formation is so clever - every line of attack is in the space between midfield and attack, or midfield and defence, making it really difficult for Liverpool to keep track of them. It'll just take one mistake for Liverpool to counter-attack though...

8:11PM

27 mins

Liverpool have struggled to keep hold of the ball in this game. Hoffenheim are controlling the space on the pitch, pressing high and forcing them to play longer passes forward which are just being picked off by the defenders.

The ball is crossed in from the left and Kaderabek is unmarked at the back post. He takes the shot on with a difficult volley but puts it way over.

8:08PM

24 mins

Liverpool have the chance to counter as the ball is given away by a central midfielder in another dangerous position. Nothing comes of it. The referee is allowing a lot of 50/50s to just go on, rather than breaking up play constantly.

8:05PM

21 mins

That's the team shape for Hoffenheim. They build up play like this but defend as a five. In attack the two wide players are expected to get forward, while the defenders step up to the half way line. That was how they got beaten so easily by one pass for Salah's chance earlier.

8:02PM

18 mins

Can is booked for a foul. Liverpool seem to be playing a back three at the moment too, mirroring their opponent.

Can plays in Alexander-Arnold who pops up on the right wing, winning a corner with a low cross. Hoffenheim are prepared for these low crosses into the box - none have worked so far. 

8:00PM

15 mins

Hoffenheim defending with a back five manage to block the space out wide for Liverpool's forwards and win the ball rather easily in their own half. 

SALAH IS CLEAN THROUGH! There's a mistake by Vogt in the centre-circle and one pass puts Salah clean through on goal! He sprints and has a five yard head start but Vogt absolutely powers his way back to put Salah off and the Egyptian ends up placing his shot wide of the post.

7:57PM

SAVED!

Terrible penalty by Kramaric! He hits it straight down the middle with absolutely no power... that's even worse than putting the ball over the bar. Dreadful. Shame on you, Kramaric. 

7:56PM

11 mins

Gnabry is tackled and Mane works some dribbling magic on the left to stay away from Bicakcic. Gbabry beats the offside trap and runs into the area, skips past a challenge and GOES DOWN! Is that a penalty?! The referee waits... and gives a penalty!

7:54PM

9 mins

A Hoffenheim set piece is curled into the middle and Lovren stretches to slide and cut it out... and the ball bounces off his arm! The home team want a penalty but they don't get it. Liverpool are nervous in defence but come to life in attack and Moreno overlaps on the left, sending a great pass to Salah at the near post. It's cut out and Mane wins possession, burns past a defender to get to the byline and cut another ball back into a danger area. Again, Hoffenheim deal with it. 

7:51PM

7 mins

Hoffenheim are dangerous! Kaderabek has just done Moreno on the right wing but his chipped cross is cleared at the back of the box. Liverpool having to defend here - Hoffenheim look strong on the wings.

7:50PM

6 mins

Hoffenheim have a pretty cool shape, if you're into that kind of thing. They build up play with a three in defence and a three just in front, with two wide players and one central. Further forward are two midfielders and then it's two wide forwards. Actually, it's already changed a fair bit.

Mignolet has just sprinted off his line to give away a throw and is very lucky that Hoffenheim weren't able to turn that into a scoring chance. In hindsight he's dealt with the threat well but it could have gone very wrong.

7:47PM

3 mins

Liverpool are taking their time in possession, Hoffenheim are pressing high to put them off their passing. Klopp's team gets forward and try to control the ball in the final third and for a second if looks like Salah has broken the offside trap. He sticks the ball in the back of the net but the whistle had gone.

7:45PM

KICK-OFF

And we're off!

7:45PM

Sound is important

 I like how this makes it look like we're watching the game on MST 3K.

7:44PM

The Chaaaaaaaampions

7:43PM

The man who funded Hoffenheim

That's Hoffenheim's main sponsor. He's got a bit of cash on him from his time in the tech world and the club wouldn't be here without him. In 2000 they were in the German fifth tier.

7:32PM

Jurgen Klopp says it's a 50/50 game

"It's very important but I can't remember the last not important football game. I spoke to my players because yes we deserve the chance tonight but nothing else, if we want more, we have to perform! That's the plan.

"We can do pretty much everything better but I think it's best we build on the second half which was very good. I know, or think, we can do it.

"To explain it a bit I don't think a lot of people in Germany know about Bournemouth. It's a fantastic football team - they deserve it also. Skilled manager, young team, you can be sure they're really ambitious. For Hoffenheim, if any other team would have got Hoffenheim it would have been impossible. Not when we come here. It's a 50/50 game, I don't need more."

7:26PM

Nageslmann the modern manager

7:24PM

Julian Nagelsmann taking it all in his stride

The Hoffenheim manager is 30 years old. I am... older. 

Our man Sam Wallace (also older) has this on him:

There's much more and you can read it by clicking on this sentence. Don't go too far though, kick-off is only 20 minutes away.

7:20PM

Can Liverpool keep Coutinho?

Do you love this thread? It's been going on a while now and it sounds very much like Mr Coutinho would like a move to Barcelona. However, Barcelona have planned their summer transfer strategy terribly, lost their second best player and have real problems at the moment but that doesn't mean Liverpool have to sell. The argument that 'he doesn't want to play for Liverpool anymore' shouldn't really matter - he's contracted, and as soon as the window has closed it's hardly as if he'll just stop turning up for work. Unless he does, in which case I would be wrong. 

7:18PM

Dad watch

7:08PM

Inside the changing room

I've been staring at this rolls for a while now and I'm pretty sure they aren't toilet paper. They look more like towels, and this has confused me. I know footballers have money... but... well I'm pretty sure I'm just being stupid. Liverpool playing in white tonight.

7:04PM

Klopp's first 100 games the same as at Dortmund...

What could it mean?! I really enjoyed this piece and thoroughly recommend reading it.

Here's a little taster for free:

6:45PM

How Liverpool tend to play

Hi everyone! Welcome to our liveblog. Here's a video I made in which I attempt to (quickly) explain just how important Roberto Firmino is to Jurgen Klopp's heavy metal style of football. I hope you like it.

6:37PM

Hoffenheim starting lineup

Baumann; Kaderábek, Hübner, Bicakcic, Rupp; Vogt; Gnabry, Demirbay, Zuber; Kramaric, Wagner

6:34PM

Liverpool starting lineup

4-3-3

Mignolet, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Matip, Moreno, Henderson, Can, Wijnaldum, Salah, Mane, Firmino

Subs: Karius, Klavan, Gomez, Milner, Grujic, Solanke, Origi

5:27PM

Preview

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson intends to use his last European experience to shape his future ones as the Reds look to secure their return to the Champions League.

The England midfielder is one of only three survivors from the team which lost the Europa League final to Sevilla in Basle in May 2016.

As they set out to convert their fourth-placed Premier League finish into a place in Europe's elite for the first time since the autumn of 2014 Henderson is drawing on bitter experience for motivation.

"That was a tough night for us as a team. Losing in any final but particularly a European final is tough," he said of the Basle experience, where Liverpool went 1-0 up but fell apart in the second half and lost 3-1.

"You have to use that and make sure you do not have that feeling again and we will use that going into the game and that anger, if you like, to have a good Euro campaign so hopefully it will help us going forward."

Manager Jurgen Klopp knows this is a chance they cannot afford to squander against Hoffenheim - a tough prospect against a team who finished finished fourth in the Bundesliga - having worked so hard to hang on to a top-four spot last season.

"We fought really hard for this opportunity," he said.

"After we beat Middlesbrough in May we knew we were fourth but we had no idea if we were seeded or not.

"The night we celebrated someone came in and said: 'We're seeded.' Everyone was really happy and then we saw who we could still get.

"There is a job to do. For three months we've been looking forward to this game. We're in a good mood."