HEIM & DRY

deny Serge Gnabry the first time, but the second – on 10 minutes as Moreno abandoned his post – saw Dejan Lovren penalised for a challenge on the same player.

The resulting spot-kick by Kramaric was woeful.

On eight minutes, Sadio Mane ghosted in on the left to test Oliver Baumann. Soon after, it was the turn of Mohamed Salah to turn on the afterburners, and he really should have scored.

The winger was sent dashing from halfway by Roberto Firmino, but shot wide. However, the tone was set and it never relented.

And when the first Liverpool goal arrived 10 minutes before the break it was from the most unlikely of sources.

Alexander-Arnold has a huge future at Anfield, his athleticism, desire and pace marking him out as a future England fullback. He may yet make next summer’s World Cup.

But his ability to read the game leads many at Liverpool to believe he has a future in midfield too. His technique is up to it, as his free-kick (left) showed so wonderfully.

That the teenager took the dead-ball duty from the likes of Emre Can and Moreno to superbly curl past Baumann says much about his self-belief and the belief manager Jurgen Klopp has too.

There was still time before the interval for Sandro Wagner to hit a post for Hoffenheim and for Lovren to graze an upright at the other end.

And after the break Firmino really should have scored from six yards.

That prompted a Hoffenheim advance as the tension grew along with the rising number of chances to set up a grandstand finish, with the promise of the same at Anfield next week.

Milner broke down the left and his cross clipped off Havard Nordtveit and beyond Baumann.

Yet just when it seemed the Reds had done enough, they were stunned by Uth, who collected a long ball and fired home from just inside the box.