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Hoffenheim is a banana skin for Liverpool

Champions League | Preview
15/08/17
Hoffenheim is a banana skin for Liverpool
CHEN WS / Shutterstock.com

The Bundesliga produced many surprise packages last season. One of the biggest surprises was that relative minnows Hoffenheim finished fourth in the German top-flight table.

The achievement was made even more incredible by the fact their boss Julian Nagelsmann is just 30-years-old. The Hoffenheim boss is something of a coaching prodigy.

Nagelsmann and his team received the reward of a place in the Champions League play-offs. The German team face a tough task in the competition, though, as the home side has been drawn against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

The first leg of the tie takes place on Tuesday night at the WIRSOL Rhein-Neckar-Arena. Nagelsmann’s team have yet to start their league campaign, but last time out won 1-0 against Rot-Weiss Erfurt in the German Cup.

They have also enjoyed a good pre-season campaign. A clash in the Champions League will be unknown territory for the home side. However, after last season they will be confident of pulling off what would be a slight surprise in Europe’s elite competition.

The home side have a very good home record in all competitions, losing just once in their last 25 home games. That clash was actually in a friendly game back November of last year.

Liverpool kicked off their Premier League campaign at the weekend by drawing 3-3 at Watford. The game highlighted the Reds strengths and weaknesses perfectly. Klopp’s team were excellent going forward but displayed a similar vulnerable in defence that plagued the team at times during last season.

The Reds have an illustrious history in the European Cup in its two different guises. However, their recent record in the Champions League is poor. The Merseysiders have won just one of their last seven games in the competition, failing to win any of their last five games.

This game is one of the most intriguing of the Champions League play-off stage. Liverpool will know that Hoffenheim are unlikely to be pushovers over the two legs. This clash could go either way.

Featured match

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Champions League Group A
OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
1
 Bayern München 16 6 5 1 0 6
2
 FC København 8 6 2 2 2 0
3
 Galatasaray SK 5 6 1 2 3 -3
4
 Manchester United 4 6 1 1 4 -3
Champions League Group B
OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
1
 Arsenal 13 6 4 1 1 12
2
 PSV Eindhoven 9 6 2 3 1 -2
3
 Lens 8 6 2 2 2 -5
4
 Sevilla 2 6 0 2 4 -5
Champions League Group C
OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
1
 Real Madrid 18 6 6 0 0 9
2
 Napoli 10 6 3 1 2 1
3
 Sporting Braga 4 6 1 1 4 -6
4
 Union Berlin 2 6 0 2 4 -4
Champions League Group D
OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
1
 Real Sociedad 12 6 3 3 0 5
2
 Inter 12 6 3 3 0 3
3
 SL Benfica 4 6 1 1 4 -4
4
 RB Salzburg 4 6 1 1 4 -4
Champions League Group E
OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
1
 Atlético Madrid 14 6 4 2 0 11
2
 Lazio 10 6 3 1 2 0
3
 Feyenoord 6 6 2 0 4 -1
4
 Celtic 4 6 1 1 4 -10
Champions League Group F
OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
1
 Borussia Dortmund 11 6 3 2 1 3
2
 PSG 8 6 2 2 2 1
3
 Milan 8 6 2 2 2 -3
4
 Newcastle United 5 6 1 2 3 -1
Champions League Group G
OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
1
 Manchester City 18 6 6 0 0 11
2
 RB Leipzig 12 6 4 0 2 3
3
 BSC Young Boys 4 6 1 1 4 -6
4
 FK Crvena Zvezda 1 6 0 1 5 -8
Champions League Group H
OVERALL TABLE PTS GP W D L +/-
1
 FC Porto 12 6 4 0 2 7
2
 Barcelona 12 6 4 0 2 6
3
 Shakhtar Donetsk 9 6 3 0 3 -2
4
 Royal Antwerp 3 6 1 0 5 -11

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