Cue the music as Can eases Reds through
ONLY four games into Liverpool’s season, we know them already. Enthralling to watch going forward but characterised by uncertainty at the back, Jurgen Klopp’s team are irresistible and vulnerable all at the same time.
How far it can take them in terms of winning trophies is open to question. In terms of a spectacle, the hot ticket is Anfield and last night it was impossible to take your eyes off Liverpool.
Anfield captain Jordan Henderson couldn’t contain his excitement ahead of Liverpool’s return to the Champions League, saying: ‘It has been a brilliant night, the atmosphere was brilliant and we were brilliant at the start and set the tempo.
‘We let in a couple of goals, so we have still got things to work on but we’re delighted to get back into the Champions League where Liverpool belong.’
Three goals up inside 21 minutes against a team whose coach said he had come without fear, Liverpool embarrassed Julian Nagelsmann’s optimism through Emre Can’s double and a Mo Salah effort.
Almost inevitably, though, there were moments of promise for Hoffenheim and Liverpool’s chances of a clean sheet disappeared shortly before the half-hour mark when substitute Mark Uth scored.
Liverpool were not in danger, not with such a lead. But although Roberto Firmino’s 63rd-minute goal was the least their attacking efforts deserved in the second half, it was not a surprise when Adam Szalai headed Hoffenheim towards respectability with 10 minutes left.
Last week in Germany, the first leg of this tie was haphazard — a missed penalty, spurned chances and then a bad goal conceded by Liverpool at the death just to keep the whole thing alive. And then there was this. Hoffenheim were largely dreadful — disorganised, chaotic and skittish at the back. Yet they could have scored three times.
Liverpool were terrific with the ball and seemingly capable of scoring every time they advanced within 30 yards of the Germans’ goal.
But what of the home team’s defending? Well, we know the answer already and we have known it for a long time.
Too often too deep and almost always too square, playing a ball between the static members of Klopp’s back line is as easy as rolling a coin into a slot machine.
It is an enduring problem and one that will kill Liverpool if they do not fix it. But here, at least, Klopp’s team had two away goals and, within 21 minutes, three more goals at the away end.
Liverpool could have scored in the second minute. Trent AlexanderArnold’s free-kick looped up off the wall and Salah headed over when it was easier to score.
That set the tone. Sadio Mane was played clear two minutes later and his shot came back off goalkeeper Oliver Baumann’s shin. Then Alberto Moreno crossed from the left and Salah’s effort was blocked.
It was a lively start and, for once, it proved portentous. Liverpool did not slacken off. Instead, they scored. Firmino’s pass played in Mane and, when he checked inside and released Can with a backheel, the midfielder scored via a deflection off Kevin Vogt. Such is the nature of Liverpool’s play when they are on their game that they can do this to any team, never mind one so defensively poor. Salah was next to score in the 19th minute and he could not miss. Firmino’s low cross picked out Mane and when his shot came back off a post, Salah was there to slam it into the net. As Hoffenheim heads dropped, Liverpool put their foot down. A superb ball inside from Georginio Wijnaldum released Mane down the left and, when Firmino arrived on the back of a 50-yard gallop, a backheel from his colleague allowed him to cross to the far post for Can to volley home.
That was a fantastic goal. There will be few better here this season and it sent Klopp into raptures.
Nagelsmann reacted to impending embarrassment by throwing on first-leg scorer Uth and it worked.
Minutes after Serge Gnabry had wasted a chance down the left, the substitute eased into acres of space down the right to score across Simon Mignolet.
With such a handsome lead, Liverpool eased through the second half. Wijnaldum was twice denied and Mane came close, before Firmino seized on a defensive calamity to score in front of the Kop.
There was still time for Szalai to head a cross past Mignolet near the end and it may be this that Klopp remembers ahead of Liverpool’s meeting with Arsenal here on Sunday in the Premier League. The German will hope for more security, while the neutrals would settle for half as much entertainment.