Bradley Barcola Scores First Champions League Hat-Trick as Liverpool Defeats LASK 6-3 in Austria
Bradley Barcola responded to growing but premature scrutiny of his performances by scoring his first Champions League hat-trick during Liverpool’s 6-3 victory against LASK in Austria, rte.ie reported. The France international, who joined the club in a £123m summer transfer, scored with both feet in the first half before adding a third from close range after the interval. The fixture provided a stark contrast between Liverpool’s attacking abundance and the Austrian League champions, who made their debut among Europe’s elite.
Ronald Araujo Breaks the Deadlock Before Barcola Multiplies the Advantage
On-loan Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo opened the scoring midway through the first half with a towering header from a Kostas Tsimikas corner. Just 95 seconds later, Bradley Barcola collected a pass from Rio Ngumoha, kept alive by Lewis Koumas, to sweep home his first goal for the club. Ryan Gravenberch struck the inside of the post before Barcola doubled his tally before the break by slotting past the goalkeeper from Florian Wirtz’s fizzed pass. Manager Andoni Iraola made four changes from Sunday’s match, including two in defence as Jeremie Frimpong and Kostas Tsimikas replaced Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez. Additionally, Araujo moved into the centre, Trey Nyoni entered the midfield, and Rio Ngumoha started on the right wing.
🚨🇪🇺 LASK 1-5 Liverpool⚽️ Bradley Barcola (x3). https://t.co/whZ6KDagqX
Jeremie Frimpong and Lewis Koumas Expand the Scoreline in a One-Sided Encounter
Right-back Jeremie Frimpong scored with a 12-yard header from a Tsimikas cross six minutes into the second half, rte.ie reported. Lewis Koumas, making his first Champions League start at 21 years old, had two first-half goals disallowed for offside before finally finding the net with a well-taken first-time shot to make it 6-1. Robert Ljubicic and Florian Flecker scored goals for LASK, but nothing could take the spotlight away from Barcola or Florian Wirtz’s creative output on the night.
Frequently Asked Questions About Liverpool’s European Match in Austria
How many shots did Liverpool record in the first half against LASK?
Liverpool registered 19 shots in the first half alone, highlighting the one-sided nature of the match against the Austrian League champions.
Which Liverpool players missed the fixture due to injury?
Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, and Dominik Szoboszlai were sidelined with injuries for the trip to Austria.
Who provided the assists for Ronald Araujo and Jeremie Frimpong?
Kostas Tsimikas provided the corner kick for Ronald Araujo’s header and delivered the cross that Jeremie Frimpong headed in during the second half. Tsimikas claimed two assists in total during the match.
Related reading