Hoffenheim (H) - UCL Play-off second leg, 7:45pm, Wed 23/08/17 - Finish them (H)off.

[Oh Buoy]

Wouldn't be too bothered to just replace the entire back four (bar AA). Would love to feel confident at 70 minutes when you're 3 goals ahead.

[Numero Veinticinco]

Matip, I think, is a really good player. TAA is starting to look fucking excellent.

[deiseach]

That third goal was pure filth.

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

Klopp described Firmino as possibly the most underrated footballer in the world.

Really? Not that I totally disagree, Bobby is a class act. And a few people om here seem to not be able to see it, but to be honest I thought they were a pretty small minority.

[Caramac]

That third goal was pure filth.

 

 

Thats football

 

[Captain Turdseye]

Agree. They are far from their level of a couple of years ago.

I hadn't realised they were in pot two and we were in pot three. Some nightmare draws are possible there but it's more worrying when we're playing teams we're expected to beat. Bring 'em all on!

[Joey8FrogsLegs]

Matip, I think, is a really good player. TAA is starting to look fucking excellent.

TAA is boss going forward. Apart from Gerrard and Aurelio he's probably the best crosser of the ball we've had for the last 20 years.

[jimmycase]

Les Reed doesn't

 

Haha. Les Reed is a twat.

[an tha]

Hard to fault the redmen tonight....look very very dangerous going forward and the result was never in any doubt.

 

Still worrying at the back though and get this feeling a really good side could bum us but that is for another day - for now though we have European Cup footy back....now go and get us the players we need to make a proper go of that and a top 4/title challenge, FSG.

[Trumo]

Very entertaining game, because Hoffenheim came to play football. In many ways, this game could be used as a dress rehearsal for the Arsenal game coming up because we could just as easily tear through Arsenal as they can look to open us up. Facing a bunch of alehouse bus-parking cunts wouldn't have served as prep.

 

We started against Hoffenheim on fire. The pace and movement was just too much for them and it forced Nagelsmann into a tactical change when they were 3-0 down. Mane, Firmino and Salah were excellent, and Can looked well up for this one. He could have had a hat-trick. Going forward, we were a treat to watch.

 

Clever play from Mane set up Can for the opener, and he repeated the trick for the third, playing in Firmino to cross to an umarked Can. Wijnaldum's pass in the build-up was fantastic, splitting the defence. Firmino played a couple of great defence-splitting passes of his own in the first half, one of which should have resulted in a Mane goal. Hoffenheim's goalkeeper smothered the danger (he did that a few times tonight). The second goal was a simple tap in for Salah after Wijnaldum had hit the post (he should have scored himself to be honest). So far, so good.

 

The enforced tactical change by Hoffenheim ended up being timed perfectly because it came at the very moment our team eased off after getting that 3-goal lead. We wanted to take a breather but Hoffenheim started finding gaps and began to play in our defensive third. Lovren needed to do more to clear the danger but instead gave Henderson too much to do. Moreno had correctly tucked in behind Lovren to cover but that left him with 2 people to cover once we lost the ball. That goal is not on him.

 

In the second half, we plugged away but with less intensity,although the goal eventually came. Henderson wanted the ball more than the Hoffenheim captain Vogt and he laid one on a plate for Firmino. Job done?

 

There's still the issue of slacking off and allowing opponents to run at us, get overloads and be first to balls into the box. Milner coming into the middle meant we lost our shape, and Gomez was a bit lackadaisical in closing Kramaric down on the left wing. Lovren was left up against 2 Hoffenheim forwards.

 

What I noticed in the first half was that Wijnaldum was unsure of his positioning when Hoffenheim switched to 4-4-2. It needed him to sit alongside Henderson for a few minutes while the team figured out how to manage the rest of the game even though we were 3 goals to the good. Can was joining the attack brilliantly so there wasn't much need to ask him to drop back a bit, but flipping the midfield triangle could have taken any sting out of that little spirited burst from Hoffenheim. He got to grips with it better in the second half.

 

This game was about making sure we are in tomorrow's draw for the group stage, and we did that. Plenty of positives to take forward but still a few question marks that need an answer.

[Einch]

I don't think that first goal is on Moreno. He was legitimately involved in an attack and was never going to get back. Where was the cover? That said we did see some of his more insane stuff like diving in on his wrong side and ignoring runners. Better than the season before last. Still not good enough.

[Oh Buoy]

Thats football

 

For those who can't lip read, he said:

 

"YES! MEATBALLS!"

 

Klopp getting some Italian this evening.

[bossy]

Proper Liverpool. Great in attack shite at the back. Made up though.

[Anubis]

Hoffenheim's first goal came from a piss-poor pass out of defence from Lovren, straight to one of their players.

[Kevin D]

Thats football

 

Wish he'd fuck off.

[Pureblood]

7

 

Defensive naufrage!

[an tha]

Just watched Klopp answering post match questions about new signings on itv - got the nark talked about having to leave Origi out of squad and others who are 'top quality' and how this team has got us into CL and now we don't just replace them.

 

Looks increasingly like we aren't going to add and for me it is some gamble not to - going to need a lot of luck with injuries and players handling a workload they have no form for handling succesfully.

 

I really believe a dominant centre half and an addition to midfield would see us being close to winning the league...

[TheHowieLama]

 

He clearly says "That's for Paul!!"

 

Although I dont know why.

[Tom araya]

That's football he says.

[Jairzinho]

 

He clearly says "That's for Paul!!"

 

Although I dont know why.

 

[Lee909]

Just watched Klopp answering post match questions about new signings on itv - got the nark talked about having to leave Origi out of squad and others who are 'top quality' and how this team has got us into CL and now we don't just replace them.

 

Looks increasingly like we aren't going to add and for me it is some gamble not to - going to need a lot of luck with injuries and players handling a workload they have no form for handling succesfully.

 

I really believe a dominant centre half and an addition to midfield would see us being close to winning the league...

Bit strange saying he had to leave Origi out when he had Gomez,Robertson and Milner on the bench all who can play FB and Klavan on tbe bench.

[Rorschach08]

 

He clearly says "That's for Paul!!"

 

Although I dont know why.

Clearly 'Kiss my balls'

[TheHowieLama]

That's football he says.

 

No - that doesnt make any sense.

[DJLJ]

TAA is boss going forward. Apart from Gerrard and Aurelio he's probably the best crosser of the ball we've had for the last 20 years.

 

Xabi...

[Pureblood]

 

Hadoken!