Hoffenheim manager Julian Nagelsmann has rejected Jurgen Klopp's claims that Liverpool were able to keep the German club quiet during Tuesday night's Champions League qualifier.
The Reds left Germany with a 2-1 advantage thanks to goals from Trent Alexander-Arnold and a deflected cross from James Milner that found its way into the net.
The first leg did not go entirely smoothly for the Merseyside outfit, though, as defensive frailties resulted in a penalty, which was saved by Simon Mignolet, and they conceded three minutes from time.
After the match, Klopp told reporters that his team "played defensively really well because the plan was to let them play in the spaces that we believe were not dangerous".
According to the Liverpool Echo, in response, Nagelsmann said: "No, I don't agree. We had the ball in many important spaces. He has to say that and defend his team.
"He won't say 'Hoffenheim played so well and we were shit'. I can give one example when [Sandro] Wagner played a square pass into space that was an important ball and another situations with Serge Gnabry and many others."
The second leg will be played at Anfield next Wednesday.
Danielle Joynson
