Liverpool cruised to another win over Hoffenheim in the return leg of the UEFA Champions League qualifier on Wednesday, as Emre Can scored twice in a 4-2 victory. The aggregate score for the tie was 6-3.
Can scored twice and Mohamed Salah added a third goal to give the Reds a healthy advantage in the first half, with Mark Uth pulling one back for the visitors.
Roberto Firmino added to the lead after the break, and Sandro Wagner put the final score on the board.
Here’s a look at the team sheet, via the Press Association’s Andy Hampson:
Tonight's team sheet. Liverpool revert to the side that won in Germany last week #LFC https://t.co/ETtqLmHayL
Hoffenheim fans holding out hope their team could upset the Reds on their way to the Champions League likely didn’t enjoy what they saw during the first half. Liverpool came out with tons of intensity and mustered chance after chance, converting a good deal of them early.
Serge Gnabry missed a golden opportunity to give his team the lead before the onslaught started, with Sadio Mane showing great patience before playing in Can for the opener. Sam Tighe loved the former Southampton man’s effort:
Sadio Mane 👏🏼
Eight minutes later, Salah doubled the lead, scoring the rebound after Mane was denied by the woodwork. Fans loved every second of it:
Party time at Anfield 🎉 Salah 2-0 🇪🇬🇪🇬🇪🇬
And things got even worse for the visitors. Havard Nordtveit had a nightmare outing that was cut short midway through the first half but not before he lost the ball to Mane and Firmino, with Can eventually pushing home the third goal.
Sports writer Matt Jones was already looking ahead at the Premier League action this weekend:
Liverpool are going to do appalling things to Arsenal on Sunday
Nordtveit was replaced by Uth, who pulled a goal back for Hoffenheim just a few minutes after coming on. Dejan Lovren was at fault with a poor pass that started the chance, but Liverpool still appeared to be cruising.
Mane went close with a curling shot that gave goalkeeper Oliver Baumann all kinds of trouble, and Gnabry nearly surprised the Reds defence with a curling cross that turned into a shot. Can fired the final chance of the half narrowly wide.
Sports writer Karl Matchett noted the half didn’t last nearly as long as it should have:
Four goals, one sub, one minute added on 🙄
The Reds predictably dropped the pace in the second half, but the first good chance of the half still fell to the hosts, with Georginio Wijnaldum going close. Mane also had a good look on goal, but Baumann was on hand to prevent further damage.
Simon Mignolet nearly gave away a goal by fumbling the ball twice under pressure from Adam Szalai, but the goal fell on the other end, as poor defending from the visitors allowed Firmino to get on the scoresheet.
B/R Football weighed in on the action:
Jurgen Klopp has got his side playing some heavy metal football tonight 🤘 https://t.co/HxX0cuonor
Szalai just couldn’t reach a tantalising cross and Kerem Demirbay threatened with a hard shot before Hoffenheim got a deserved second goal through Wagner. Andrej Kramaric picked him out beautifully, and his header gave Mignolet no chance.
Hoffenheim ended the match on top, but it hardly mattered, as Anfield counted down the seconds until the team returned to the Champions League.
Emre Can Leads Liverpool to 4-2 UEFA Champions League Win over Hoffenheim – Bleacher Report
