Teenager Trent Alexander-Arnold guides Liverpool to Champions League win over Hoffenheim with stunning free-kick

  • 16/08/2017

Liverpool took a step towards the Champions League group phase as they beat Hoffenheim 2-1 in the first-leg qualifying playoff, and they were lead by an unlikely hero.

At the Rhein-Neckar Arena in Germany, 18-year-old Trent Alexander-Arnold curled a perfect free-kick into the bottom right corner from 25 yards to open the scoring in the 35th minute.

The teenager scored his first top flight goal for his boyhood club seven years after leading the side out for a League Cup tie against Leeds, captured in a tweet by former captain Jamie Carragher who accompanied him on to the pitch that day at Elland Rd.

Liverpool doubled their lead in the second half in fortunate fashion, when James Milner's cross took a deflection off Havard Nordtveit and swerved into the top corner, before Mark Uth drilled home neatly towards the end to give the hosts hope of a second leg comeback.

Elsewhere, Sporting Lisbon were unable to break down Steaua Bucharest in a 0-0 draw, while Qarabag FK beat FC Copenhagen 1-0; Apoel Nicosia beat Slavia Prague 2-0; and a stoppage-time own goal from Kasim Nuhu helped CSKA Moscow win 1-0 away at Young Boys.

The second leg ties take place on August 23.      

DPA/Newshub.