Europe here we come...
Can double helps put Liverpool into Champions League draw
“That’s football,” Jurgen Klopp turned and screamed as Liverpool scored the third of their goals in knocking out Hoffenheim to reach the group stages of the Champions League. And that release was felt throughout the stadium.
Even then, on the way to an entertaining 6-3 aggregate victory in this play-off, there were still a few nervous moments and, combined with the goals and Liverpool’s outstanding attacking play, last night summed up where they are at right now. But they are in the draw for the Champions League, which is made today.
They are back where they believe they belong and it is set to be a white-knuckle ride of a European adventure. Goals will be scored; goals will also be conceded.
Europe will fear Liverpool’s attacking prowess – their outrageously rapid front three of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, and that is even without factoring in Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana or Daniel Sturridge – but they will relish coming up against a defence which looks maddeningly callow and vulnerable.
For all the talk of Coutinho and his desire to leave for Barcelona, how Liverpool cry out for a commanding centre-half. They have to make another play for Virgil Van Dijk, or a player of his ilk, while another they bought from Southampton, Dejan Lovren, had what can be described as an iffy evening at best. Klopp’s “football” comment was a clear reference to a jibe made by the Hoffenheim midfielder Kerem Demirbay who, on the eve of this second leg and with his team trailing 2-1 after last week’s home defeat, declared his side “definitely play the better football”.
It was evidently a red rag to the Red Men and, certainly, to their manager who had mentally stored it before it flooded out when Emre Can volleyed home the second of his two goals after a rampant, fluid counter-attack.
That was, indeed, football and there were many such moments from Liverpool like that but also a few from Hoffenheim. Julian Nagelsmann, their young coach, spoke about the “awe” of coming to Anfield and he meant it as a motivation – not for his players to be overawed. In truth, they were too brave, too reckless in an opening 20 minutes in which they played such a high defensive line that they were pretty much all in Liverpool’s half. It was gegen-gegenpressing.
And Liverpool’s attacking triumvirate licked their lips. Winning home and away and scoring half a dozen goals meant that there could be no doubt Liverpool deserved to progress and maintain a proud record against German opposition: 15 matches now in Europe without defeat. The Premier League also has five teams in the group stages of this competition for the first time, with Liverpool there for only the second time in eight years.
Even before Liverpool went ahead, Mane should have scored as he was superbly picked out by Firmino, with an angled pass, and then used his pace to take him clear for a clipped shot which was blocked by goalkeeper Oliver Baumann with an outstretched leg. The same Liverpool players then combined with, this time, Mane checking, from Firmino’s pass, and finding the overlapping Can with a smart back-heel. The midfielder shaped to arc his shot around Baumann but it deflected off Havard Nordtveit to wrong-foot the goalkeeper and nestle in the net.
Nordtveit, the former West Ham United midfielder, was part of a Hoffenheim defence that, frankly, appeared hapless and it was quickly unpicked again as Firmino, down the left, simply pulled the ball back to Georginio Wijnaldum, who carefully side-footed a shot that cannoned back off a post. Salah was the quickest to react and he sent the rebound past Baumann.
Hoffenheim posed an attacking threat, through the pacy former Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry, but that
meant little as they were shredded again. Once more it involved Mane and Firmino with the latter down the left again to stand up an inviting chipped cross that was met by Can, who gleefully volleyed home to spark Klopp’s reaction.
Was it over? It seemed so but Nagelsmann had to do something and rejigged with the goalscorer from the first leg, Mark Uth, coming on. He scored.
Sandro Wagner broke forward and slipped the ball wide to Uth who slid an accurate low shot back across goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and into the net.
Even before that, Gnabry had got in behind Trent Alexander-arnold but lifted his chip across goal and wide when he surely had to score.
It meant it was strangely nervy and, despite Liverpool’s lead, the next goal felt crucial. They spurned chances – Can, for his hat-trick, and Firmino – and then into the second half Wijnaldum was suddenly central to everything as he was twice denied by Baumann, who also thwarted Mane
There would be more goals, though, and, crucially, Liverpool claimed the first when Jordan Henderson’s desire to win the ball, and Hoffenheim captain Kevin Vogt’s lack of determination, meant Henderson barrelled through before selflessly squaring for Firmino.
Game over? Yes, but there was a final reminder of Liverpool’s vulnerability when Andrej Kramaric’s cross was met by Wagner, as Lovren floundered, and he headed past Mignolet. Liverpool had played football. Fine football. But they also need to defend better.