1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
Live TV
Latest audioLatest videos
In focus
Russia's war in UkraineIsrael-Hamas warIndia elections
Sports

Hoffenheim draw Liverpool in Champions League qualifiers

Jonathan Harding
August 4, 2017

In the playoff round of the Champions League, the draw many had hoped for has become reality. A former Bundesliga favorite is set to lead his Premier League team against the latest young coach to make the headlines.

https://p.dw.com/p/2hh0u
Fußball 1. Bundesliga Trainer Nagelsmann Manager Rosen
Image: picture-alliance/SvenSimon/A. Waelischmiller

Julian Nagelsmann's (pictured above, left) Hoffenheim will have to beat Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool if they are to get their first taste of the group stages of the Champions League. Friday's draw pitted the two sides against one another after both finished fourth in their respective leagues last season.

The first leg will be on August 15, before Hoffenheim travel to Anfield on August 23.

Liverpool, five-time European champions, were last in the Champions League in 2014-15, when they failed to make it out of their group. Hoffenheim have never been in the Champions League before, but believe with their highly rated head coach Julian Nagelsmann, they can make even more history.

Roberto Firmino joined Liverpool from Hoffenheim before Nagelsmann's time, but Hoffenheim have grown since then and the appointment of their 30-year-old head coach was worked wonders. While Klopp faces a test, so do Hoffenheim. Liverpool have been in great preseason form, most recently battering Bayern in the Audi Cup.

Elsewhere, Lucien Favre's Nice face Napoli and Celtic will play Astana.

The full Europa League draw also delivered some cracking ties, but notably without Freiburg who suffered a surprise defeat to Domzale in the previous round.