Bradley Barcola scored his first three goals for Liverpool as Andoni Iraola's side won 6-3 at LASK in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, making it two wins from two in the league phase.
Ronald Araújo, Jeremie Frimpong and Lewis Koumas also scored at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz, before Robert Ljubičić and a late double from substitute Florian Flecker gave the Austrian side some consolation in a nine-goal game.
Match facts
- Result: LASK 3-6 Liverpool (half-time 0-3)
- Competition: UEFA Champions League, League Phase, Matchday 2
- Venue: Raiffeisen Arena, Linz
- Scorers: LASK - Ljubičić 63', Flecker 74', 77'; Liverpool - Araújo 22', Barcola 24', 37', 66', Frimpong 51', Koumas 72'
- Assists: LASK - Dibango (63', 74', 77'); Liverpool - Tsimikas (22', 51'), Koumas (24'), Wirtz (37'), Frimpong (66', 72')
- Red cards: None
- Attendance: 18,910
- Player of the match: Bradley Barcola
- Next: Liverpool visit Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday, then host Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday 20 October
How the match unfolded
Iraola made four changes from Sunday's 3-0 home defeat by Manchester City, resting Virgil van Dijk and handing the captaincy to Kostas Tsimikas, with Frimpong, Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha also starting.
Kasper Jørgensen shot over early for LASK, but Liverpool soon took control and Florian Wirtz forced a save from goalkeeper Lukas Jungwirth. The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute, when Tsimikas swung in a corner and Araújo headed down and in for his first Liverpool goal.
Two minutes later it was 2-0. Ngumoha drove into the box and went down under a challenge, the referee waved away the penalty appeals, and Koumas reacted first to set up Barcola for a first-time finish. It was the France forward's first goal since his summer move from Paris Saint-Germain.
Koumas then had a goal ruled out for offside and Ryan Gravenberch struck the inside of the post. Barcola had a shot cleared off the line before getting his second in the 37th minute, finishing from close range after another slick exchange with Wirtz.
Liverpool kept going after the break. In the 51st minute the full-backs combined, Tsimikas crossing to the back post for Frimpong to head down past Jungwirth.
Koumas was denied by the offside flag again before LASK found a foothold. Alisson saved from Kryštof Daněk, and Iraola replaced both centre-backs, bringing on Van Dijk and Joe Gomez for Jérémy Jacquet and Araújo. A minute later, in the 63rd minute, substitute Ljubičić finished from close range after Yvan Dibango's cross.
Barcola answered three minutes later, converting Frimpong's low ball at the back post to complete his hat-trick in front of the away end. Frimpong set up Koumas for his first Champions League goal in the 72nd minute, before Flecker, on at half-time, headed in Dibango's cross in the 74th minute and volleyed a third for LASK three minutes after that.
Iraola: 'a very complete game'
Speaking to Liverpool's official website, Iraola praised his front line. "I think offensively it has been a very complete game," he said, adding that Barcola "has to enjoy this because to score a hat-trick in the Champions League is always very difficult."
He took responsibility for the late goals. "It's not the right thing to do as a manager to change both centre-backs together," Iraola said, explaining that he was already thinking about the trip to Brentford.
What comes next
Liverpool have six points from their first two league-phase games. They return to the Premier League at Brentford on Saturday, before Villarreal visit Anfield on Tuesday 20 October.
Elsewhere on Matchday 2, Arsenal beat Lille 3-0 and Manchester United lost 2-0 at Atlético Madrid. Readers can also search BetAlert's database of reported betting scammers and ask for a free account check.