Barcola hits first career hat-trick as Liverpool thrash LASK 6-3
Bradley Barcola scored his first career hat-trick to help Liverpool beat LASK 6-3 in the Champions League following a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Bradley Barcola scored his first career hat-trick as Liverpool defeated LASK 6-3
- Liverpool recorded 19 shots in the first half, a record in away Champions League games since 2003-04
- Florian Wirtz provided an assist after facing heavy scrutiny over his massive transfer fee
- Lewis Koumas, 21, became Liverpool's youngest player to score and assist in a Champions League match
A thrilling night in the Austrian city of Linz saw Bradley Barcola deliver a stellar performance, netting the first hat-trick of his career across 238 combined club and country appearances to guide Liverpool back to winning ways following their 3-0 loss to Manchester City on Sunday.
Ahead of the fixture, manager Andoni Iraola faced repeated questions regarding the slow starts of Florian Wirtz and Barcola, especially given their eye-watering price tags of £116m for Wirtz and £123m for Barcola. Iraola stood by his players, insisting he trusted them completely.
On the pitch, the investment paid off as Wirtz delivered a fine display with an assist, but the headlines firmly belonged to Barcola. He secured the match ball after two well-taken finishes with his right and left foot, followed by a close-range tap-in after the break.
"You were asking me yesterday about him not making the numbers and [the same with] Florian and I think both of them today played really, really well."
Andoni Iraola
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Liverpool's relentless first-half display saw them race into a three-goal lead. Their 19 shots before halftime set a record for any team in the first half of an away Champions League match since 2003-04, ensuring the result was practically secured despite conceding three goals in the second half.
Further positives came from full-backs Jeremie Frimpong, who scored and provided two assists, and Kostas Tsimikas, who added two assists of his own. Ronald Araujo also netted his first goal for the club since arriving in the summer transfer window.
This dominant victory served as an ideal response to Liverpool's recent domestic stumble against Manchester City, highlighting the squad's depth and attacking resilience. The emergence of young talents alongside marquee signings demonstrates the club's successful squad rotation strategy during a demanding fixture schedule.
Twenty-one-year-old Lewis Koumas capped off a memorable night by becoming the youngest Liverpool player to both score and assist in a Champions League match at 21 years and 25 days old, breaking Steven Gerrard's previous record set in 2001, despite having two goals ruled out for offside.
However, pundit Stephen Warnock noted that sterner tests lie ahead, with Liverpool set to visit fourth-placed and unbeaten Brentford on Saturday to see if Barcola can replicate his dominant performance in a high-stakes away fixture.
Source: BBC Sport
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment