Bradley Barcola scores hat-trick as Liverpool hit six in win at LASK

Barcola’s first two goals for the club followed Ronald Araujo’s maiden Reds strike during a dominant first-half display that saw the visitors lead 3-0 at the break at Raiffeisen Arena on Wednesday evening.

Andoni Iraola’s side picked up where they left off after the restart, with Jeremie Frimpong adding their fourth goal of the night in minute 51.

LASK replied through Robert Ljubicic but Barcola almost immediately completed his treble in front of the away end.

And there was more to come, too, as Lewis Koumas notched his first Champions League goal to make it 6-1 before Florian Flecker’s brace ensured a hugely entertaining contest finished with nine goals scored.

Liverpool have now picked up a maximum haul of six points from their opening two league-phase fixtures this season.

Team

Iraola made four changes to his line-up, with Kostas Tsimikas named captain and Frimpong, Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha also starting.

Milos Kerkez, Alexis Mac Allister, Victor Munoz and Virgil van Dijk were the players to make way.

With an average age of 24 years and 186 days, the Reds’ starting XI was their third-youngest ever for a Champions League game.

Liverpool: Alisson, Jacquet (Van Dijk, 62), Wirtz, Tsimikas, Barcola (Munoz, 73), Frimpong, Araujo (Gomez, 62), Gravenberch, Nyoni (Mac Allister, 85), Koumas, Ngumoha (Chambers, 85).

Unused subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Kerkez, McConnell, Danns, Sonni-Lambie, Lucky.

First half

An end-to-end start to the game included corners for both sides and the first attempt on goal of note was LASK’s, Kasper Jorgensen shooting over the crossbar from the edge of the area.

From there, though, Liverpool asserted their authority, Florian Wirtz seeing an effort saved shortly before the breakthrough arrived midway through the half as Tsimikas’ out-swinging corner was met with Araujo’s downwards header.

Just two minutes later, it was 2-0, with another Red able to celebrate their first goal for the club.

Ngumoha was the instigator, the forward expertly weaving and driving his way into the box before going down under a challenge from a defender. The referee waved away appeals for a penalty, but Koumas reacted quickest to tee up Barcola for a first-time finish.

Koumas then saw a goal of his own disallowed for offside and Ryan Gravenberch was unlucky to strike the inside of the post following more productive link-up play between Barcola and Wirtz.

The pressure on LASK’s goal was relentless and Barcola had a shot cleared off the line just before grabbing his second of the evening with 38 minutes on the clock.

Yet again, the understanding between Wirtz and the France international was too slick for the hosts and Barcola finished with ease from close range.

Second half

Though the half-time break could have interrupted Liverpool’s momentum, it did not and soon it was 4-0 as their full-backs combined.

Tsimikas’ cross to the back post was inviting for Frimpong, who sprang impressively and directed his header down and beyond LASK goalkeeper Lukas Jungwirth.

Koumas was again denied a goal by the offside flag before LASK, for the first time in the match, began to provide some attacking threat of their own.

Alisson Becker made a sharp save from Krystof Danek but the Reds’ No.1 was beaten soon after by Ljubicic’s forceful, close-range hit.

However, Liverpool responded in kind and Barcola rounded off a smooth move by converting Frimpong’s low cross at the back post.

Koumas then finally got his goal with a close-range finish from another excellent Frimpong delivery, but LASK were not disheartened and grabbed a couple more goals of their own, courtesy of a quickfire double from Flecker.

The Reds’ advantage was insurmountable, though, and Iraola’s team return to Anfield for their next Champions League match against Villarreal on Tuesday looking to extend a perfect start to the league phase.