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Champions League draw: Liverpool paired with Hoffenheim in play-off for place in the group stages
Liverpool must overcome Bundesliga opponents if they are to take their place in the group stages of the Champions League having been paired with Hoffenheim in today’s qualifying draw.
Jurgen Klopp’s side will play the first leg in Germany on Tuesday, August 15 with the return leg on Merseyside eight days later.
It was arguably the toughest draw available for Klopp’s side. The youngest coach in the Bundesliga – 30-year-old Julian Nagalsmann - oversaw an outstanding campaign in his first season.
Liverpool will not be venturing into unknown territory, however. Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino was signed from Hoffenheim two years ago, and the Merseysiders will be encouraged by their recent form against German opposition.
They overcame both Augsburg and Borussia Dortmund en route to the Europa League final in 2016, while in the past week the preparation for this season were focused on Germany – Liverpool emphatically defeating both Hertha Berlin and Bayern Munich.
Hoffenheim have also lost a couple of their most impressive performers from last season.
But Klopp is under no illusions about how tough the forthcoming qualifier is, coming a few days after the Premier League opener against Watford.
“It was exactly what I expected when I had a look – if there’s a choice we always seem to take the German team,” Klopp told Liverpoolfc.com.
“It was clear from the first moment when we knew who we could face that there would be no easy game. It’s Hoffenheim and that’s for sure not an easy game.
“But we should always not forget what they thought in the moment they saw the draw – it’s not the best thing they could get.
“When you are fourth in Germany you are a strong side.
“It’s a very interesting club. They have a lot of really good young players. They lost two of them (Sebastia)] Rudy and (Niklas) Sule to Bayern - and had a little change. They have a very young manager, just 30 years old, a very talented man.”
Liverpool at least have the advantage of playing at Anfield in the second leg on August 23.
Celtic, meanwhile, face a gruelling trip to Kazakhstan having been paired with Astana.
Brendan Rodgers’ side overcame Rosenborg in midweek as the Glasgow side hope to repeat last year’s effort when they advanced into the group phase.
Everton will face Croatia’s Hadjuk Split as they seek to confirm a Europa League group place. The Merseysiders will be at home in the first leg on August 17, with the trip to Croatia seven days later.
Sam Wallace wrote this on Nagelsmann last season
He was a youth team player at 1860 Munich and then Augsburg but had his career ended by a knee injury and never played professionally. He worked his way through the coaching levels at Augsburg, first under Thomas Tuchel, and then at Hoffenheim, as well as at 1860 Munich, and in October 2015 he was appointed, aged 28, to become Hoffenheim’s head coach for the start of the 2016-2017 season.
Last February, with the team one from bottom and seven points from safety, the Hoffenheim manager Huub Stevens resigned with health problems. Nagelsmann won seven of the last 14 games and kept them in the top flight by a point. This season he has excelled, including a 17-game unbeaten run, the longest in Europe’s top leagues. He plays high-tempo football. He works with the director of football Alexander Rosen who, at 37, has joked in the past that his and Nagelsmann’s combined ages are less than that of Wenger.
Who are Hoffeinheim?
In Julian Nagelsmann, Liverpool's Champions League play-off opponents have the youngest Bundesliga head coach in the league’s history.
The young coach was even suggested as a potential successor to Arsene Wenger and Arsenal when the Frenchman's future looked uncertain last season.
Nagelsmann's side finished fourth in the Bundesliga last season, two points off Borussia Dortmund in third and five points adrift of runners-up RB Leipzig.
Based in a village of approximately 3,000 inhabitants, TSG Hoffenheim was initially formed in 1899 and never went higher than the fifth tier of German football until the turn of the 21st century - going from the ninth tier of German football to the top flight in just 18 years.
Who could Liverpool face?
As a seeded team, Liverpool will avoid the biggest teams in the draw.
The worst case scenario for Liverpool would undoubtedly be a tie against Ligue Un club, Nice.
That would mean a reunion with ex-Liverpool flop, Mario Balotelli, who has gone from strength to strength since joining the French club on a free transfer in July 2016.
The Italian, 26, scored 15 goals in all last season as Nice finished third to reach the qualifying rounds of the Champions League.
Besides Nice, Liverpool could also end up drawing one of:
Steaua Bucharest (Romania)
Young Boys (Switzerland)
Hoffenheim (Germany)
Istanbul Basaksehir (Turkey).
Good morning!
And welcome to the second biggest event happening in football today.
As PSG prepare to unveil Neymar in what should be a quiet and humble affair, why not warm up for the goings on Paris with by joining me for the Champions League play-off draw? Go on.
The biggest name in the pot are obviously Liverpool, who have looked exceptionally sharp in pre-season, so far.
Jurgen Klopp's men won the prestigious Premier League Trophy in Asia last month before trouncing Bayern Munich 3-0 in the Audi Cup in Germany.
All of their focus will now be on today's draw as they find out who they need to beat to book a place in the Champions League group stages.
Preview
What is it?
Liverpool will find out who they will play for a place in the a qualifying play-off for a place in the Champions League group stages.
When is it?
The draw takes place on Friday, August 4.
What time is it?
Liverpool will find out their opponents from 11:30am.
The draw is taking place in Nyon, France.
When will the matches be played?
The first leg ties will be played across days: Tuesday August 15 and Wednesday August 16.
The return ties will then be played on Tuesday August 22 and Wednesday August 23.
The ten play-off winners will then join 22 teams who have already qualified in the Champions League group stages.
Where can I watch it?
The draw will be shown live on BT Sport 3, but if you do not subscribe to the package then you can still watch it live on Uefa.com.
Who could Liverpool play?
The two previous rounds of qualifying have left Liverpool with the following possible opponents:
Steaua Bucharest (Romania) Young Boys (Switzerland) Hoffenheim (Germany) Istanbul Basaksehir (Turkey) Nice (France)
A clash with Nice would be the most interesting proposition, pitting Liverpool against their former striker Mario Balotelli.
When is the Europa League draw?
Everton will also find out their play-off opponents on Friday after beating Ruzomberok 2-0 on aggregate on Thursday.
The Toffees will be seeded in the draw meaning they will miss other seeded clubs like AC Milan.
The draw will take place immediately after the Champions League play-off draw and should begin around 12:30pm.
If, as expected, Everton are placed as one of the top seeds, then Ronald Koeman's men will meet one of the following clubs.
- AEK Larnaca (Cyprus) FH (Iceland)
- Viitorul Constanța (Romania)
- Osijek (Croatia)
- Vardar (Republic of Macedonia)
- Ostersund (Sweden)
- Shkendija (Republic of Macedonia)
- Suduva Marijampole (Lithuania)
- Maritimo (Portugal) Rosenborg (Norway)
- Hajduk Split (Croatia)
- Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova)
- Apollon Limassol (Cyprus)
- FC Oleksandriya (Ukraine)
- Videoton (Hungary)
- Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)
- Skenderbeu Korce (Albania)
- Utrecht (Netherlands)
- AEK Athens (Greece)
- Rheindorf Altach (Austria)