Evening all, and welcome to coverage of Hoffenheim v Liverpool, the fixture neither club will have wanted. Hard draws are all very well once the competition proper gets underway; no one wants one prior to it though. This should be excellent, with guaranteed misery and annoyance a week tomorrow. Lovely stuff!

So, good night - see you next week for the second leg.

So an excellent result for Liverpool. They ought to have been behind before they scored but Kramric fluffed his penalty and Alexander-Arnold's free-kick was excellent. Hoffenheim faded in the second half and Liverpool's second goal was coming, but Uth's livener means that the tie will still be open when the teams reconvene at Anfield next week. That's Hoffenheim's first home defeat in 16 months.

Full-time: Hoffenheim 1-2 Liverpool

Still Liverpool come forward, and Grujic takes his time in possession just outside the box, curling a shot from just outside the box which Baumann has to fist away.

What a miss! Hoffenheim win a free-kick on the left and Demirbay swings in yet another lovely ball. Hubner is on it too, and could go anywhere - he's in front of goal - but heads over the top for no reason whatsoever!

There shall be four added minutes.

Nordtveit swirls a lovely cross towards the far post, where Kramaric is loitering with intent ... but an expert intervention from Alexander-Arnold sees the ball skim off his head for a corner which is wasted.

Final change for Liverpool: Grujic replaces Mane.

Can Hoffenheim find another one?

GOAL! Hoffenheim 1-2 Liverpool Well that came out of nothing! And what a goal this is! St Zuber drills a long pass from right to left, picking out Uth. He chests it down beautifully, now behind the line having timed his run to perfection, and he drills low and hard into the far corner.

Liverpool's second goal no longer belongs to Milner; cheeky Nordtveit has snaffled it away.

Change for Liverpool: Solanke replaces Firmino.

Much better from Hoffenheim, Demirbay hitting another lovely ball over the top for Kaderabek on the opposite side. He heads back across and to the edge of the box, where Amiri waits, but though he hits his shot well enough, Mignolet beats away at his near post. He's been decent tonight.

Firmino, who's come into things recently, makes space down the left of the box and crosses low but into the arms of Baumann.

Hoffenheim look beaten.

Sobriety.

Hubner is booked for a foul on Firmino and Hoffenheim are tottering.

GOAL! Hoffenheim 0-2 Liverpool (Milner) If this was deliberate, it's a brilliant finish; it wasn't. Someone pushes Mane in centrefield, Wijnaldum takes the free-kick quickly, short to Firmino, and he slides Milner away on the left. He transfers the ball onto his right foot and looks to pick out Salah at the back post, but a flick of Nordveit and that's not only 2-0 but nearly the tie.

I meant to say, Uth replaced Gnabry a few minutes ago. Gnabry's been quiet, but surely it was worth keeping him on.