KLOPP DOES CAN CAN
Liverpool waltz through to big stage
EMRE CAN left Hoffenheim seeing double at Anfield as Liver- pool strolled into the group stage of the Champions League.
Can scored twice in a match for the first time in his career to leave the Germans in a daze.
The German midfielder helped himself to a brace before halftime and Mohamed Salah also scored as Liverpool took control.
All the pressure was on Jurgen Klopp’s men heading into this encounter, the first Champions League action Anfield had seen since 2014 when Brendan Rodgers was boss.
Precious
Reaching the group stages is worth at least £50m to the Reds, while missing out would have cost them around £12m in lost gate revenue alone.
Failure was not an option, and the Reds came into the second leg holding a precious 2-1 advantage from the first tie in Germany last week.
Klopp named the same side that won 2-1 in Hoffenheim, which added up to five changes from the team that beat Crystal Palace last weekend.
Dejan Lovren, Alberto Moreno and Trent Alexanderside Arnold returned to the defence while record signing Salah got the nod ahead of Daniel Sturridge in attack.
The visitors made two changes and needed to make a fast start to pile the pressure on their hosts and stand a chance of reaching the Champions League group stage for the first time. But the omens were not good considering no German had ever won a European tie at Anfield and Klopp’s men should have been 2-0 up inside three minutes. Salah headed wide from close range after a freekick had deflected into his path before Sadio Mane was sent clean through on goal but his weak shot was blocked by the advancing keeper Oliver Baumann.
The writing was on the wall and the home side went ahead after 10 minutes when Mane’s back-heel set up Can, who drilled a deflected shot past Baumann to reward his side’s bright start.
Hoffenheim boss Julian Nagelsmann had insisted before kick-off that his side would not be intimidated.
But he was left regretting it within 21 minutes as the Reds romped into a 3-0 lead thanks to Salah’s tap-in and a second from Can when the German finished off a wonderful team move.
There seemed no stopping the Reds, who produced some thrilling football to rip the German outfit to pieces.
Relentless
The visitors pulled one back before half time through early substitute Mark Uth.
But the red tide kept sweeping towards the Hoffenheim goal with relentless force.
Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum both missed chances to extend the lead after the break. But that was forgotten after 63 minutes when Jordan Henderson robbed Kevin Vogt and sent through Roberto Firmino, who made no mistake.
Hoffenheim now needed four goals for an improbable victory.
But they did not give up and were rewarded with another consolation 11 minutes from time through Sandro Wagner.