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Bradley Barcola Scores Hat-Trick as Liverpool Beat LASK 6-3 in Champions League
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Bradley Barcola scored a hat-trick as Liverpool beat LASK 6-3. Florian Wirtz provided an assist and shone in the win.
Barcola hat-trick stuns LASK
Liverpool thrashed LASK 6-3 in the Champions League, with Bradley Barcola scoring a hat-trick as Florian Wirtz shone in Austria. The match at the Raiffeisen Arena saw Ronald Araujo head in his first goal for the club before Barcola opened his Liverpool account with a finish from a Wirtz pass. Barcola then added his second of the game and completed his treble, while Jeremie Frimpong extended Liverpool’s advantage with a header and Lewis Koumas scored Liverpool’s sixth after two efforts were ruled out for offside.
The scoring continued after the break as Robert Ljubicic pulled one back for LASK and Florian Flecker reduced the deficit with two finishes, but Liverpool fended off any real threat of a comeback. Andoni Iraola praised Barcola and Wirtz after the win, saying, "I think he played so well today and not just the goals."
Iraola defends the duo
Andoni Iraola had arrived in Austria facing repeated questions about Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola after stuttering starts to their individual campaigns. Iraola insisted he trusted them, telling reporters, "I trust them 100 per cent" as he argued the focus should be on the collective rather than individual stats. The BBC framed the stakes around price tags, noting £116m for Wirtz and £123m for Barcola, and it described Wirtz delivering in Linz as Liverpool won 6-3.
Iraola also pointed to the way Barcola’s performance could translate into confidence, saying, "I'm really happy for Bradley" after the hat-trick. TheScore described the same pressure from criticism, but it said Barcola ended his goal drought with a hat-trick in the "chaotic 6-3 win" over LASK.
Next tests after the win
Liverpool’s win came after the club had lost 0-3 to Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday, and Iraola’s Champions League night in Linz followed that Premier League setback. The BBC said Liverpool returned to winning ways after their 3-0 loss to Manchester City on Sunday, and it set up the next Premier League test as a visit to Brentford. Iraola linked the hat-trick to an upcoming challenge, adding that the "acid test" for his side would be Brentford away, with Brentford described as fourth in the table and unbeaten in the league.
TheScore said the trip to Linz was the second of six games in 18 days for Liverpool, forcing Iraola to make changes to save players from burnout. Flashscore also cast the result as a turning point for Barcola, naming him Man of the Match as Liverpool moved to 26 wins in their last 30 Champions League group or league phase matches.