Liverpool draw Hoffenheim in Champions League play-off
Liverpool have been drawn to face German side Hoffenheim in the Champions League play-off, with Celtic taking on Astana.
Celtic have a reunion with Kazakh side FC Astana, who they beat at the third qualifying round last season, with a narrow 3-2 win on aggregate.
Liverpool were denied a meeting with Mario Balotelli's Nice, who had the toughest draw in landing Napoli, but will be wary of an impressive Hoffenheim outfit.
They finished just two points behind Klopp's old side Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga last season and in Julian Nagelsmann, who only turned 30 in July, they have a very young and highly regarded coach.
He was named German coach of the year in March and has revealed in the past that he and Klopp exchange messages.
Nagelsmann told The Sun last November: “Jurgen has been in touch to say ‘well done’ after a good match, like when we beat his old club Mainz. I also write him messages.”
" My approach is a mix of Klopp’s philosophy of pressing and winning the ball back quickly, rapid transition and counters and then Pep Guardiola and Tuchel’s ideas on possession."
The first legs will be played on August 15/16, with the second legs taking place on August 22/23. The 10 winners of the ties below will go into the group stage of the Champions League.
Celtic have a reunion with Kazakh side FC Astana, who they beat at the third qualifying round last season, with a narrow 3-2 win on aggregate.
Liverpool were denied a meeting with Mario Balotelli's Nice, who had the toughest draw in landing Napoli, but will be wary of an impressive Hoffenheim outfit.
He was named German coach of the year in March and has revealed in the past that he and Klopp exchange messages.
Nagelsmann told The Sun last November: “Jurgen has been in touch to say ‘well done’ after a good match, like when we beat his old club Mainz. I also write him messages.”
" My approach is a mix of Klopp’s philosophy of pressing and winning the ball back quickly, rapid transition and counters and then Pep Guardiola and Tuchel’s ideas on possession."
The first legs will be played on August 15/16, with the second legs taking place on August 22/23. The 10 winners of the ties below will go into the group stage of the Champions League.
League route
- Istanbul Basaksehir v Sevilla
- Young Boys v CSKA Moscow
- Napoli v Nice
- Hoffenheim v Liverpool
- Sporting v FCSB
Champions route
- Celtic v FC Astana
- Qarabag v Copenhagen
- APOEL v Slavia Prague
- Olympiacos v HNK Riejka
- Hapoel Beer-Sheva v NK Maribor
