Bradley Barcola scored his first senior hat-trick as Liverpool routed LASK 6-3 in Linz in Champions League action on Wednesday 14. Barcola opened his Liverpool account with a first-time finish and added two more after assists that included a Florian Wirtz pass for the second, giving the summer signing a breakthrough after six appearances without goal or assist. Ronald Araújo headed Liverpool ahead with his first goal for the club from a Kostas Tsimikas corner, and Lewis Koumas registered his first Champions League goal while becoming the youngest Liverpool player since Steven Gerrard to both score and assist in the same UCL game. Liverpool fired 26 shots, equalling the club record for an away Champions League game, but the hosts still managed to score three times, producing a surprisingly open contest. Manager Andoni Iraola singled out Barcola and Wirtz, saying their performances “made a difference” and that the night would boost the pair’s confidence. The win allowed Liverpool to respond quickly to their recent defeat by Manchester City and leave Austria with two wins from two in the group stage.
