Bradley Barcola scored a hat-trick and Florian Wirtz shone after recent criticism as Liverpool beat LASK 6-3 to claim their second Champions League win.
Barcola began his Liverpool career without scoring or assisting in six appearances since his £123m move from Paris Saint-Germain, while Wirtz responded to calls for him to leave with a fine performance in what was expected to be a comfortable evening against the Austrian Bundesliga champions.
Liverpool had 19 shots in the opening period, a new record for an away team in the first half of a Champions League game, as Ronald Araujo headed in his first goal for the club before Barcola burst into the area with a neat finish and then hit another from Wirtz’s pass.
Andoni Iraola’s side were relentless with Trey Nyoni, 19, impressing in midfield alongside Ryan Gravenberch and they helped add a fourth when Jeremie Frimpong met Kostas Tsimikas’ cross with a superb header that went off the post just six minutes after the break.
Iraola benched Virgil van Dijk in Austria for just the third time in Liverpool’s 39 Champions League games since 2022, but when he and Joe Gomez came on at centre-back in the 62nd minute, they conceded three times.
Barcola’s hat-trick, a header from Frimpong’s cross, followed Robert Ljubicic’s consolation before Wales striker Lewis Koumas, leading the line in Alexander Isak’s absence, deservedly scored Liverpool’s sixth goal after he had two efforts ruled out for offside.
Florian Flecker reduced the deficit late on with two clinical finishes in two minutes, exposing Liverpool’s poor defense to take some of the shine off the victory.
Highlights from a goal celebration…
- 22: GOAL! Liverpool get their reward after a strong start as Araujo heads high from a corner for his first goal for the club.
- 24: TWO IN TWO MINUTES! Barcola calmly slotted in from 12 yards for his first Liverpool goal.
- 31: OFFSIDE! Liverpool striker Koumas has been sent off for offside.
- 33: OUT OF THE WOODWORK! Liverpool are threatening to run riot as Gravenberch hits the inside of the right post.
- 37: BARKOLA Again! Wirtz has been at the heart of Liverpool’s excellent first-half display and he flicks a pass for Barcola to score.
- 51: GOAL! Liverpool get their fourth as Frimpong meets Tsimika’s cross with a superb header that goes wide of the post.
- 53: OFFSIDE FLAG 2-0 KOUMAS! The Liverpool striker is again denied the flag after finding the net.
- 62: SUBS! Van Dijk and Gomez come in at the back for Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo.
- 63: GOAL! Liverpool’s young centre-back duo concede immediately after Ljubicic strikes.
- 66: HAT-TRICK! Barcola wins the third and it’s his easiest of the night, slotting in from a few yards out.
- 72: KOUMAS GETS THE GOAL! He was not to be denied and finally Koumas can really celebrate after his close range finish.
- 75: GOAL! Flecker bends to turn in Dibango’s cross.
- 77: GOAL! It’s Flecker again! Twice in two minutes he exploits weak defense to find the back of the net.