Liverpool spoiled Hoffenheim's debut in European competition by winning 2-1 in the first leg of their Champions League playoff on Tuesday. Havard Nordtveit inadvertently deflected substitute James Milner's cross from the left high into his own net to put the five-time European champions 2-0 up in the 74th minute. Liverpool wins first match of Champions League group stage1:26However, substitute Mark Uth gave Hoffenheim a glimmer of hope going into next week's second leg at Anfield when he chested down a long ball forward and drilled an angled shot into the corner in the 87th. Hoffenheim is in unknown territory after reaching the Champions League playoffs courtesy of a fourth-place finish under Julian Nagelsmann, its 30-year-old coach. It was the highest-ever finish by the team from a village of around 4,000 people in southwest Germany.

Source: CBC News August 15, 2017 21:17 UTC