It was a demoralizing weekend for Liverpool, with the gulf in class between them and Manchester City all too evident.
The challenge now is for Andoni Iraola’s men to bounce back in Austria against LASK. The Merseysiders have yet to get Iraola right and another defeat in Linz will set off alarm bells at Anfield.
LASK are living the dream just by being here. Dietmar Kühbauer’s side achieved a historic first appearance at the Champions League stage with an incredible play-off comeback against Celtic, coming from 4-0 down in the tie to win 5-4 on aggregate. Their debut in the league stage was less memorable, however, ending in a 1-0 defeat at AEK Athens.
However, the two-time Austrian winners find themselves in a sticky patch. Sunday’s 2-0 home defeat to Rapid Vienna made it four competitive games without a win, and Kühbauer was blunt afterwards, admitting his side had been “far from winning” and that “Liverpool play way above Rapid”.
Liverpool will have fond memories of this game. They beat LASK 3-1 in Linz and 4-0 at Anfield in the 2023-24 Europa League group stage.
Where to watch LASK Linz v Liverpool: TV broadcasts and online
LASK Linz v Liverpool kicks off at 17:45 BST (18:45 local time) on Wednesday 14 October at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz.
The match is live on TNT Sports in the UK and can be streamed via the HBO Max app.
If you live outside the UK, click LINK HERE to find out where to watch it in your region.
Statistics of LASK Linz-Liverpool
- The teams’ only previous matches came in the 2023/24 Europa League group stage, with Liverpool winning. 3-1 in Austria on matchday 1 – Florian Flecker scoring LASK’s consolation – i 4-0 at Anfield on matchday 5Cody Gakpo had two goals.
- This made LASK’s record in their six matches against English opponents D1 D5; at home it is D1 L2 with four goals scored and 11 conceded.
- These games against LASK are also Liverpool’s last matches against Austrian opposition and they have won eight of their ten matches (D1 L1). Their away record is 4 wins and 1 draw with wins in the last four visits, three of them with a clean sheet.
- This is only LASK’s third European Cup campaign. them lost 2-5 on aggregate against Górnik Zabrze in the 1965/66 preliminary round i beat Basel 5-2 on aggregate in the 2019/20 third qualifying round before going down 1-3 to Club Brugge in the play-off round (0-1 h, 1-2 a).
- LASK is the fifth Austrian club to participate in the Champions League proper, after Salzburg, Sturm Graz, Rapid Vienna and Austria Vienna.
