I don't normally watch games back, but I've just watched back the Hoffenheim game being as we left the ground literally just before Milner's deflected goal. (There's a 10/15 minute walk the train from the ground and there was a train back to Heidelberg 10 mins after the final whistle. Or else the next one was an hour later and twice as long so it made sense to do a dusty early and be back the ale Heidelberg early rather than being stuck in Sinsheim, as picturesque a little village as it is, where's there's next to nottin' there.).
What a great European away performance that was when you watch it back.
Knowing little about Hoffenheim, you're lead to believe before the game that they're a great attacking threat lead by a tactically brilliant up and coming young coach who were a serious threat at home where they'd not lost for over 15 months. Coupled with talking the press lads through the afternoon saying they'd watched them training in they were a team of giants the air just practicing dead ball scenarios all had you a little nervous for what looked a tough qualifier.
Well Nagelsmann showed his inexperience and naivety by crazily setting up playing 3 at the back with SUCH a high line. Which was almost in our half. Not too clever at all when L'pool have two really, REALLY fast lads wide who were left in acres of space all night. That scoreline could have been anything in L'pool's favour. 6/7- 2/3 wouldn't have looked out of place given all the chances. And that includes the **** poor penalty they had in a first half they created little else through whilst L'pool weren't great. Second half the way we controlled the game and saw it out to what would have been a clean sheet bar the ironic mistake from the otherwise brilliant Trent on the night was real pleasing to see.
Someone, who like Hoffenheim will think they can go toe-to-toe with these Reds and go at them, will take a real walloping from this side the groups. Really expecting a big away win on our travels the CL this year. So unlike watching Rafa's sides the CL where we last had real success the big tourney. Rafa Tuesday, we don't concede but we probably don't create much either. This side had chance after chance away in Europe all game. Similar to the way they shocked Munich and battered them. Completely mad polar opposite to old school European footie.
BTW, rail seating is fantastic. The seats were down being a UEFA game, but you could lock them up which many did. But even with them down, there's still bags of room to stand in front of your seat. Unlike our grounds where you're banging your ankles the back the seat in front of kneeing the fella in front of you. The Germans have got this boxed off perfectly.
I don't know if we'll ever get back to that stage in this Country but I'm even more an advocate of rail seating/ safe standing now having experienced it first hand.
Now to continue in the same vein tomorrow and give a woeful Palace side the doing we've owed them for a few years now at Anfield
Up the Homecoming Reds!
