LASK 3-6 Liverpool: 5 things learned as Bradley Barcola makes history in six-goal blitz

Well that was eventful, wasn't it? In Wednesday's early kick off from the Champions League, most forecast a pretty routine Liverpool victory against competition debutants LASK in Linz. Well, this looked like being the case when the Reds were three in front by half time, and 4-0 up shortly after the interval.

The Reds' tally of 19 shots in the first 45 is the most by any away side in the first half of any Champions League match since records began.

LASK did rally, Robert Ljubičić firing home mere seconds after coming on, before Florian Flecker scored twice, but Andoni Iraola's side still ran out 6-3 winners on a bonkers night at the Raiffeisen Arena. So, here are five things we learnt.

1. Tougher tests than LASK await

First thing to note is that LASK will surely be among the weakest teams Liverpool will come up against this season. Dietmar Kühbauer guided die Schwarz-Weißen to their first Austrian Bundesliga title since 1965 last season.

On the continent, this is their first-ever Champions League campaign, while they have now won only one of their last 14 European matches. Nevertheless, you can only beat who is in front of you.

2. Bradley Barcola can be the real deal

Just when fans were getting a bit tetchy about Bradley Barcola's lack of end product, well he certainly silenced the doubters. In his seventh appearance for the club, the Frenchman opened the scoring, converting his seventh shot for the Reds.

By the end of the night, he had a hat-trick to his name, Barcola's maiden as a senior professional, the first Liverpool player to leave a Champions League game with a match ball since Luis Díaz two years ago. Fans will be hoping this is just the start.

3. Florian Wirtz is fantastic... when given time and space

While he faded after the break, in that first half especially, Florian Wirtz looked like the player Liverpool signed from Bayer Leverkusen. The German recorded three key passes and created one big chance, as well as expertly assisting Barcola's second of the night. If the 23 year old can play like that on a regular basis, he will be an elite-level difference maker.

4. Andoni Iraola was right to trust his squad

Given the numerous injuries he is currently dealing with, as well as the fact that Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister began on the bench, it was a very unfamiliar lineup that Iraola named. In the end however, he was certainly justified to do so.

With Trey Nyoni, Lewis Koumas and Rio Ngumoha all included in the XI, this was the third-youngest lineup in Liverpool's Champions League history, above only games against Borussia Dortmund in 2001 and Midtjylland in Herning in 2020, the latter very much a dead-rubber.

Of the non-regulars, Koumas certainly impressed the most. He saw two goals disallowed for offside, before eventually getting his moment, turning home an inch-perfect Jeremie Frimpong cross. Having set up another, the Welshman is the second-youngest player to score and assist for the club in a Champions League game, marginally older than Steven Gerrard was at the Olimpiiskyi against Dynamo Kyiv a quarter of a century ago.

5. Top spot in the Champions League is an achievable aim

Few Liverpool fans believe they are among the very best teams in Europe at this moment in time, but the Reds have to be in the running to top the gigantic Champions League table. Iraola's team have won two out of two already, and have a generally kind set of fixtures remaining, while many of the other heavyweights will face each-other in the coming weeks.

Villarreal, FC Porto and Lens are set to visit Merseyside, while away games at Fenerbahçe, Club Brugge and Internazionale await too. Based on previous seasons, they need 16 points to finish in the top eight, but with every game certainly winnable, the Reds should set their sights higher.

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