FC Augsburg 0-0 Liverpool: Uefa Europa League last 32 - As it happened
Full-time: FC Augsburg 0-0 Liverpool
Full-time: FC Sion 1-2 Sporting Braga
Full-time: Galatasaray 1-1 Lazio
Full-time: Marseille 0-1 Athletic Bilbao
Full-time: Shakhtar Donetsk 0-0 Schalke
Full-time: Sparta Prague 1-0 FK Krasnodar
Full-time: Sporting CP 0-1 Bayer Leverkusen
Full-time: Valencia 6-0 Rapid Vienna
Not much to shout about throughout that relatively drama-free 90 minutes. Liverpool failed to create much by way of clear opportunities to snare a crucial away goal, but will fancy their chances of reaching the last 16 with the second leg at Anfield to come on 25 February.
Things could have been different for the hosts had Esswein taken his chance on the stroke of half-time or substitute Ji's late strike took a more favourable bounce off the woodwork.
Henderson's header finds Moreno, who takes a touch before producing a shot from 25 yards that swerves violently before awkwardly skipping up off the turf. An uncertain Hitz does well to push it up into the air and behind.
Milner once again tries to pick out Henderson with the corner, but his latest effort from the edge of the box, a dipping volley, travels over the crossbar.
More attacking intent from Liverpool after the break as Sturridge's shot is held by Hitz and Clyne's cross towards Moreno is turned behind.
Kohr is then cautioned for hauling down Firmino. From the free-kick, Toure misses his chance to connect with a close-range header but the ball almost trickles in anyway as Caiuby's attempted clearance ricochets off home skipper Paul Verhaegh.
Mignolet has had his fair share of critics this season, but that was a confident stop to deny Esswein after the former German U21 international had created space for the shot.
Under pressure, the goalkeeper then nearly spills a deep cross from the right but he regathers the ball and Liverpool survive.
Almost a clear opening for Sturridge as Philippe Coutinho slides a low pass into the penalty area but Klavan gets a foot on the ball and Hitz can collect.
A huge blow now for Augsburg as Bobadilla, their top scorer this season with 17 in all competitions, cannot run off that hamstring twinge and is replaced by Brazilian striker Caiuby.
An unconvincing defensive header from Mamadou Sakho only turns former Fulham full-back Kostas Stafylidis' searching cross as far as Bobadilla, but his effort is driven into the ground and well over.
The usually powerful striker then loses out to Alberto Moreno in a physical challenge and he appears to have hurt his hamstring. This could be very bad news for the hosts.
The final whistles are sounding across tonight's 18.00 GMT matches. In Denmark, Manchester have slumped to a 2-1 defeat against FC Midtjylland courtesy of goals from Pione Sisto and Paul Onuachu. Memphis Depay had put the visitors ahead eight minutes before the break.
As for Tottenham, they will take a potentially pivotal away goal back to White Hart Lane after a 1-1 draw against Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. Federico Bernardeschi's deflected second-half effort cancelled out Nacer Chadli's penalty that was won by Ben Davies.
Augsburg boss Weinzierl, meanwhile, wishes this tie had come in the midst of Liverpool's well-documented injury crisis...
I would have preferred to play against Liverpool six weeks ago. They are getting better each week and injured players are coming back. With these players Liverpool is a much better team with high quality.
We are expecting a very good opponent, who has the ambition to win this competition. So the roles are clear. "Our goal is to play well and fight for a good position before the second leg.
Just over 20 minutes remaining until kick-off. Here is what Klopp has had to say in the build-up to his return to Germany:
I feel great [to be back], it's just a situation that happened. I didn't actually flee from Germany and I've always felt well here! My last memory from Germany is Oktoberfest, everything was great. The only difference here, it's a full room, just a different language.
A lot depends on their selection but they're a really good German team, compact, very physical. They're good, they know what they're doing, and they try to do it really well in the Europa League. It's not as if every single game we play we do so well and get the good results. Yes, in the Bundesliga, some results weren't so good, but everyone wants to get as far as they can in the Europa League and that's the aim of both teams.
My cousin lives here, it's a really nice town. I like the south of Germany, it's the lifestyle. I lived in the Black Forest myself for 19 years so I'm used to this environment and feel comfortable here. All I know is that we usually won here. I think Augsburg is cool, I really like it here, everything is very traditional, real, and you can play real football here. What more can I add?
Klopp's men travel to the WWK Arena with something of a spring in their step after that humbling of lowly Villa that saw six different scorers in Daniel Sturridge, James Milner, Emre Can, Divock Origi, Nathaniel Clyne and even Kolo Toure. That victory, Liverpool's first in the Premier League since a nine-goal thriller at Norwich in January, saw them move up to eighth place.
It is worth noting that the Reds exited the Europa League at the last-32 stage last season following a penalty shootout defeat to Besiktas in Istanbul. This year, they won two and drew four of their matches en route to topping Group B ahead of FC Sion, Rubin Kazan and Bordeaux.
Many Liverpool supporters may be unfamiliar with tonight's opponents, who are playing their first knockout match in European competition. After pipping Schalke to fifth spot in 2014-15, 14th-place Augsburg have endured something of an underwhelming season and currently sit only six points ahead of Hoffenheim in the promotion-relegation place.
Weinzierl's side finished second behind Athletic Bilbao in Europa League Group L, winning three of their six matches and ousting Partizan Belgrade only on goal difference. They warmed up for this tie - which Klopp, who will be more familiar with Augsburg, labelled as the biggest game in their history - by losing 2-1 at home to reigning champions Bayern Munich on 14 February. Their only win in six games came at Hamburg on 19 December.
As for Augsburg manager Markus Weinzierl, 38-year-old former Arsenal goalkeeper Alex Manninger - yes, that one - is unavailable due to a bout of bronchitis.
Striker Ji Dong-won, whose previous clubs include Reading, Sunderland and Borussia Dortmund, has been suffering from a knee injury but he is deemed fit enough for the bench.
Tobias Werner, Raúl Bobadilla and Ragnar Klavan all start.
Following Sunday's 6-0 thrashing of sorry Aston Villa, Klopp has named an unchanged starting XI for the first time since succeeding Brendan Rodgers in October 2015.
Lucas is back among the substitutes after missing that aforementioned win with a slight muscle injury, with Kevin Stewart dropping out of the matchday squad after limping out of training in midweek with bruising to his ankle. Jon Flanagan's place on the bench is taken by fellow right-back Connor Randall.
Good evening and a very warm welcome to IBTimes UK's third live coverage of a busy night of Europa League last-32 action.
With the list of fixtures traditionally split over two different kick-off times, here we focus on the 20.05 games as Jurgen Klopp takes his Liverpool side back to Germany for their first leg against Bundesliga outfit FC Augsburg at the WWK Arena.
That will be our main focus, but we will also bring you half-time and full-time scores from the following matches:
FC Sion vs Sporting Braga
Galatasaray vs Lazio
Marseille vs Athletic Bilbao
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Schalke
Sparta Prague vs FK Krasnodar
Sporting CP vs Bayer Leverkusen
Valencia vs Rapid Vienna
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