Bradley Barcola struck his maiden treble for the club as a thrilling barcola hat‑trick propelled Liverpool to an eventful 6‑3 Champions League victory over Austrian side LASK on Tuesday night. The French international attacker, who arrived from Paris Saint‑Germain in a £123 million transfer over the summer window, chose the European stage to end a barren run of six matches without finding the back of the net. His clinical display helped ensure that manager Andoni Iraola picked up a second consecutive win in the continental competition.
The meeting in Austria produced plenty of open football from the opening exchanges. Iraola had decided to shuffle his personnel following a difficult weekend outing, and the squad members handed starting shirts showed their intent straight away. Liverpool pressed the home side high up the pitch and took complete control of the tempo. It did not take long for that positive approach to reflect on the scoreline.
Liverpool broke the deadlock through central defender Ronald Araujo, who rose highest inside the penalty area to meet an accurate corner delivered by Kostas Tsimikas. Araujo headed firmly past the goalkeeper to record his very first goal in Liverpool colours since arriving at the club. The goal unsettled the hosts, who had barely reorganised their defensive lines before the English side struck again.
Just two minutes after the opening goal, Barcola announced his presence on the scoresheet. Young winger Rio Ngumoha produced an eye-catching burst of pace down the right flank, skipping past his marker to break into dangerous territory. Ngumoha slipped the ball inward to Lewis Koumas, who kept his composure to lay a pass across for Barcola. The 23-year-old forward showed sharp instincts inside the box, finishing with his right foot to instantly double the advantage for the visiting team.
LASK tried to find a route back into the contest, but the English side remained disciplined and threatened regularly on the counter-attack. Barcola struck again shortly before the interval to hand Liverpool complete command of the fixture. German playmaker Florian Wirtz supplied the vision, threading a precise through ball that released the French attacker into clear space behind the Austrian backline. Barcola made no mistake with the opportunity, finding the net to give the visitors a two-goal cushion and his personal tally of two on the night.
The visitors came out for the second half with the same attacking mindset. Tsimikas once again proved influential from wide areas, sending in another dangerous cross from the flank. Jeremie Frimpong read the trajectory well, ghosting into the box to guide home a header and extend the lead.
The home supporters found something to cheer when Robert Ljubicic managed to reduce the deficit for LASK with a well-taken effort. Any hope of an improbable comeback was wiped out almost immediately by the rampant visitors. Exactly three minutes after the Austrian club scored, Barcola completed his treble to kill off any lingering home momentum.
Frimpong turned provider this time around, sending in an inviting cross that Barcola met cleanly, turning the ball home to seal his personal milestone. The three-goal haul capped a memorable individual resurgence for the former PSG forward, sending the contingent of travelling Liverpool fans into loud celebrations in the away section of the ground.
Liverpool showed no signs of slowing down despite holding a commanding margin. Koumas, who had earlier set up Barcola in the opening half, got his own name on the scoresheet to make it six. Frimpong claimed another assist on the night, picking out Koumas, who applied the final touch to push the scoreline to a lopsided 6-1.
LASK refused to lay down despite the heavy punishment. Florian Flecker produced an admirable individual response for the hosts, scoring two goals in quick succession late on. Flecker beat the Liverpool defence twice within a brief spell to trim the deficit to 6-3. While the Austrian outfit restored some pride with those late strikes, the outcome had long been decided by Liverpool’s earlier attacking burst.
Iraola had made four significant alterations to the starting eleven that suffered a defeat against Manchester City on Sunday. The manager chose to rotate his resources, resting club captain Virgil van Dijk from the kickoff. Van Dijk was later introduced into the action as a substitute to gain playing time and help manage the closing stages.
The outcome leaves Liverpool with a perfect record of two wins from their first two group fixtures as they progress through the tournament. The Merseyside club now turn their focus back home to domestic duties. They return to Premier League action with a trip to face Brentford on Saturday, followed by a quick turnaround for another Champions League fixture when they host Spanish side Villarreal at Anfield next Tuesday.
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