Match ends, 1899 Hoffenheim 1, Liverpool 2.
Liverpool will take a one-goal advantage back to Anfield for the second leg of their Champions League play-off tie with Hoffenheim after Trent Alexander-Arnold's free-kick and an own goal earned them a hard-fought victory in Germany.
Rookie full-back Alexander-Arnold demonstrated a cutting edge lacking in some of his more experienced team-mates with an expertly taken set-piece that found the bottom corner of the home net in the 35th minute to give him his first goal for the club.
James Milner took advantage of acres of space on the left to find the top corner via a significant deflection from the chest of Havard Nordtveit just 10 minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute.
But defensive frailties again hampered the Reds as Mark Uth was found by a long ball into the box and fired in largely unchallenged in the closing stages.
It could have been worse for Jurgen Klopp's side. In just the 11th minute, Simon Mignolet had prevented European debutants Hoffenheim taking the lead with a neat save to push away Andrej Kramaric's poor penalty after Dejan Lovren had upended Serge Gnabry in the box.
Having inflicted a first home defeat on Hoffenheim since the final day of the 2015-16 season, Liverpool will look to seal a return to the Champions League group stages for the first time since 2014 at Anfield next Wednesday.
- Reds goal a dream - Alexander-Arnold
- Football Daily podcast: Reds take one-goal advantage to Anfield
- Relive the action as Liverpool beat Hoffenheim
Same pros and cons
Having picked the same starting XI that began the see-saw 3-3 draw at Watford in their opening Premier League fixture on Saturday, Liverpool played to type.
The Reds were superb going forward and should probably have scored more than twice, with Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino both failing to add goals to the ones they scored at the weekend.
Salah was sent running clear by Firmino's pass in the first half but shot tamely past both keeper and post, while the Brazilian saw a close-range shot blocked by Oliver Baumann after being found by a low cross from the excellent Sadio Mane in the second.
But they will be left to rue familiar defensive frailties, which almost saw them concede an early lead when Lovren clumsily fouled ex-Arsenal winger Gnabry for the penalty and then gave the German side a lifeline in the tie when some lax marking gave Uth all the time he needed to score with three minutes to go.
Between then, Mignolet was required to pull off two good saves, firstly to deny Gnabry from close range and secondly to push away a Nadiem Amiri drive from just inside the box.
Look on the bright side
The positives, though, outweigh the negatives for Klopp and his side.
In winning at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena they have achieved what no Bundesliga side - including Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund - was able to last season.
While clearly a stronger side with Philippe Coutinho in it, the Reds have shown over two matches that they can score goals without the Brazilian, who sat this game out with a back injury and remains on Barcelona's wanted list.
In Alexander-Arnold they have a home-grown solution for a right-back position many assumed Klopp would have to fill at notable expense during this transfer window.
And in eight days' time they will take to the field at Anfield as firm favourites to seal a lucrative spot in the group stage of Europe's premier club competition.
Man of the match - Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
'An OK result'
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, speaking to BT Sport: "Hoffenheim had a specific plan to play. We gambled a little too much on the wing, it was a little dangerous in the first half, but as always when we play football, we found spaces in-between and created wonderful chances.
"The result is OK. The first half is done and if you said before the game we would win, I would take the result.
"We need Anfield, what an intense game for both sides. I am looking forward to a European night at Anfield. Only the person who does not know about Hoffenheim can be surprised by this."
Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann: "We deserved to at least have had a draw.
"We were brave, but we were a bit too open in the second half and risked too much.
"The way the game went, with the missed penalty, was unfortunate for us."
Reds remain unbeaten away in qualifying - The stats you need to know
- The Reds remain unbeaten in their nine away Champions League qualifying matches, with seven wins and two draws.
- Simon Mignolet's early penalty save was his fourth from his last seven penalties faced in all competitions - in total he's saved 35% of the penalties he's faced since joining Liverpool (7/20).
- Trent Alexander-Arnold's goal was his first for Liverpool, in his ninth start in all competitions.
- Liverpool scored more than once for the first time in their last nine European away games, since a 2-2 draw against Ludogorets Razgrad in the 2014-15 Champions League.
What next?
Liverpool play their first home Premier League game on Saturday, with Crystal Palace the visitors. The return leg against Hoffenheim is four days later.
The German side are at home against Werder Bremen on Saturday before the trip to Merseyside.
Line-ups
Hoffenheim
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 1Baumann
- 4BicakcicBooked at 34minsSubstituted forNordtveitat 52'minutes
- 22Vogt
- 21HübnerBooked at 76mins
- 3Kaderábek
- 7RuppSubstituted forAmiriat 53'minutes
- 10Demirbay
- 17Zuber
- 29GnabrySubstituted forUthat 70'minutes
- 27Kramaric
- 14Wagner
Substitutes
- 6Nordtveit
- 15Toljan
- 18Amiri
- 19Uth
- 28Szalai
- 32Geiger
- 36Kobel
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 22Mignolet
- 66Alexander-ArnoldBooked at 55mins
- 32Matip
- 6Lovren
- 18Moreno
- 23CanBooked at 51mins
- 14HendersonSubstituted forMilnerat 63'minutes
- 5Wijnaldum
- 11Salah
- 9FirminoSubstituted forSolankeat 84'minutes
- 19ManéSubstituted forGrujicat 89'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Karius
- 7Milner
- 12Gomez
- 16Grujic
- 17Klavan
- 27Origi
- 29Solanke
- Referee:
- Björn Kuipers
- Attendance:
- 25,418
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home63%
- Away37%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away14
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away8
- Corners
- Home6
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home13
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, 1899 Hoffenheim 1, Liverpool 2.
Post update
Attempt saved. Marko Grujic (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by James Milner.
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Attempt blocked. Nadiem Amiri (1899 Hoffenheim) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Steven Zuber.
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Attempt blocked. Kerem Demirbay (1899 Hoffenheim) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
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Attempt missed. Benjamin Hübner (1899 Hoffenheim) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Kerem Demirbay with a cross following a set piece situation.
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Nadiem Amiri (1899 Hoffenheim) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Marko Grujic (Liverpool).
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Håvard Nordtveit (1899 Hoffenheim) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool).
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Corner, 1899 Hoffenheim. Conceded by Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Substitution
Substitution, Liverpool. Marko Grujic replaces Sadio Mané.
Goal!
Goal! 1899 Hoffenheim 1, Liverpool 2. Mark Uth (1899 Hoffenheim) left footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Håvard Nordtveit.
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Foul by Kerem Demirbay (1899 Hoffenheim).
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Emre Can (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Substitution, Liverpool. Dominic Solanke replaces Roberto Firmino.
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Attempt missed. Sadio Mané (Liverpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Mohamed Salah.
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Attempt missed. Sandro Wagner (1899 Hoffenheim) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Pavel Kaderábek with a cross.
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Attempt saved. Nadiem Amiri (1899 Hoffenheim) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Pavel Kaderábek with a headed pass.
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Foul by Nadiem Amiri (1899 Hoffenheim).
Comments
Join the conversation
How many times has Liverpool won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League?
Answer... 5
(1977, 1978, 1981, 1984, 2005)
NB More than any other British club.
Joking asides, was impressed with Alexander-Arnold. Great composure for an 18 year old.
Conterary to all the rumours Man United did not win the league last weekend and we would like to ask the remaining 19 Premier League teams to continue and play their remaining 37 games as the winner will only be crowned in May 2018, thanks you
Probably the same people have who no knowledge outside of the premier league and that's why they still think the premier league has the highest quality. Highest entertainment, yes. Highest quality, not anymore.
Very good result for Liverpool to beat this side away.
Little more to it than that though isn't there. Football is one of the greatest things the human race has ever invented. You often hear people saying if I wasn't a footballer I'd be in prison or dead. It gives people hope!
Excellent performance from Trent alexander-arnold