Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool know more about Hoffenheim than you can imagine
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Published 15/08/2017 at 08:12 GMT
Jurgen Klopp has warned that Liverpool’s Champions League qualifier opponents Hoffenheim will pose a major threat to his club’s chances of progressing to the tournament’s group stage.
Jürgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Image credit: Getty Images
Liverpool secured fourth place in the Premier League last season and were handed the added advantage of a European seeding, ensuring they could not draw the highest ranked teams in the qualifiers.
But Klopp’s side could have got a far easier draw than Bundesliga club Hoffenheim. And the Liverpool manager has been keen to remind how hard it was for the team to even get this chance.
"We fought really hard for this opportunity," he said. "After we beat Middlesbrough in May we knew we were fourth but we had no idea if we were seeded or not.
"The night we celebrated someone came in and said: 'We're seeded.' Everyone was really happy and then we saw who we could still get."
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Liverpool's Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho celebrate a goal
Image credit: Reuters
"There is a job to do," Klopp added. "For three months we've been looking forward to this game. We're in a good mood. We know about the qualities of the opponent and the difficulty of the challenge but it's just good to be here after a long time.
"It's good to have the chance to do it, even though we know it will be hard. We know more about Hoffenheim than you can imagine. They are strong, we are strong and both have the big aim to go into the group stage so that makes it really exciting."
Club captain Jordan Henderson believes that the memory of Liverpool’s recent European failings should inspire the team to make the most of this opportunity.
Henderson’s last taste of European football was a loss to Sevilla in the Europa League final in 2016, and the midfielder is hoping to use that pain on Tuesday night.
"That was a tough night for us as a team; losing in any final but particularly a European final is tough," Henderson said of the experience, where Liverpool went 1-0 up but fell apart in the second half and lost 3-1.
"You have to use that and make sure you do not have that feeling again and we will use that going into the game and that anger, if you like, to have a good Euro campaign so hopefully it will help us going forward."
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