UEFA Champions League qualifiers: TSC Hoffenheim 1-2 Liverpool, Player Ratings

Liverpool

Simon Mignolet: 8/10

A stellar performance from the Belgian goalkeeper who redeemed himself after facing flak against Watford. Mignolet made three important saves with the penalty save being the most important. It was his seventh spot kick save with the Reds and is slowly changing his perception among the fan base.

Alberto Moreno: 5.5/10

Another poor performance from the much-discussed fullback. He was susceptive at the back and was nowhere to be seen when Hoffenheim won the penalty. His understanding with Dejan Lovren also looked all over the place. But he bombarded forward with vigour and that is the only aspect which is keeping him in the team at the moment.

Dejan Lovren: 3/10

A Sunday league performance from Liverpool's first choice centre back. He was highly erratic at the back and committed far too many errors. He gave the penalty and then had a couple of clearances gone wrong which would have proved costly. After seeing Lovren's performance, the supporters must be asking that what does Jurgen Klopp see in him that they don't!

Joel Matip: 6.5/10

The Cameroonian was criticized for his lacklustre display against Watford but he showed an improvement against Hoffenheim. Matip made good use of the ball and made one goal saving clearance in the first half.

Trent Alexander Arnold: 9/10

What a way to make your debut in the Champions League! The 18 year old was simply unstoppable on the night as he delivered a robust performance on the right flank. He slotted home a delightful free kick and often took dangerous positions on his flank. He was composed when defending and never looked shy to make a tackle or to try an incisive run.

Georginio Wijnaldum: 6.5/10

It was another performance from the Dutchman that went under the radar. He kept the play ticking and was a clever presence in Liverpool's midfield. Wijnaldum made some late runs into the box but did not have much luck in the final third.

Jordan Henderson: 5/10

The captain was not at his usual best and struggled to keep hold of the ball well. He gave away possession too many times and was also found wanting while covering the backline. Henderson hobbled off in the second half which might be a sight of worry for the Reds.

Emre Can: 7/10

The German is slowly becoming the engine of this Liverpool side. He was decent in possession and showed immense work rate. Can rallied the team on in the latter stages of the game and played like a proper leader.

Mohammad Salah: 6.5/10

Salah was not as sharp as Jurgen Klopp would have wanted him to but his late runs still made him a dangerous entity for Hoffenheim. He will be worried about missing a simple one on one chance with a bad touch ruining that shot. Salah needs to work on his right foot as he missed two glorious chances with his natural weak foot.

Sadio Mane: 9/10

A man of the match performance from Mane who displayed tremendous zeal and electrifying pace against the Hoffenheim defenders. He was simply unplayable at times with his quick feet troubling the defenders. He received a standing ovation from the Liverpool's travelling fans on his late substitution.

Roberto Firmino: 7.5/10

Another influential performance from the Brazilian. Firmino had to drop deep at times but his link up play was supreme. He created quite a number of chances but failed to score one simple chance in the second half which was his only shortcoming.

Substitutions

James Milner: 7/10

Playing in central midfield, Milner started poorly but improved soon. He had a major hand in the team's second goal and then helped the side to finish off the game on the winning side.

Dominic Solanke: 5/10

The youngster was on the field for just over 8 minutes and could not offer much to the side. He held up the ball well on a couple of occasions which was his only meaningful contribution.

Marko Grujic: 6/10

The Serbian played just a few minutes and still managed to hit a shot on target which was saved by a leaping Oliver Baumann.