The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Liverpool boost Champions League hopes
Reds teenager enjoys dream Euro debut
HOFFENHEIM 1 LIVERPOOL 2
Teenager Trent Alexander-Arnold enjoyed an extra-special European debut with a brilliant free-kick to set Liverpool on their way to a 2-1 victory in their Champions League play-off first leg against Hoffenheim last night.
Set-pieces had been the team’s downfall at Watford on Saturday but the 18-year-old, in only his 14th senior appearance, showed there is also a flip-side with a maiden goal the absent wantaway Brazilian Philippe Coutinho would have been proud of.
Simon Mignolet’s save from former Leicester striker Andrej Kramaric’s poor penalty early in the game proved equally as valuable, and although Havard Nordtveit’s own goal gave them a cushion, Mark Uth’s 87th-minute strike ensured next week’s second leg at Anfield will not be straightforward.
Alexander-Arnold is the first Liverpool-born player to score for the club since Rickie Lambert in January 2015 and he has already had the seal of approval from another local lad, Steven Gerrard, who in April offered the opinion, “Trent’s going to be a beauty”.
His 35th-minute free-kick was certainly that, whipped over a seven-man wall, and although goalkeeper Oliver Baumann appeared slow to react that should not detract from the quality of the strike.
Alexander-Arnold has been given his chance in the team due to injury to England international Nathaniel Clyne, although his promising performances towards the end of last season and his form in summer friendlies suggested he would be pushing the England international hard going into this campaign.
That he was not only Liverpool’s best defender but the best outfield player Mignolet made a couple of important saves - against a team playing their first Champions League fixture will have manager Jurgen Klopp asking questions of those far more experienced around him.
James Milner, 13 years Alexander Arnold’s senior, made sure of the win when his cross went in off Nordtveit but Uth’s late strike gave last season’s fourthplaced Bundesliga team hope.
“It is a thing of dreams to make your European debut for your boyhood club,” Alexander-Arnold told BT Sport.
“Especially to make it with a goal was very special for me.
“More importantly, we got the win. We are still a bit disappointed with the late goal but it is always good to take a lead back to Anfield.
“I kind of got egged on to take the free-kick, to be honest. I never put my hand up first but I had the confidence to take it and it paid off.”
Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson felt the German side’s late goal slightly took the shine off the result.
“We will be disappointed with the late goal because we wanted to take a clean sheet back to Anfield,” Henderson said.