The Champions League primarily sees European biggest and most famous clubs go head-to-head. When the draw was made in August, Liverpool fans realised they are all too familiar with Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan, Villarreal and Porto, exciting to face Lens and Fenerbahçe for the first time, while November will see them meet Club Brugge for the first time since the European Cup Final of 1978.
However, despite playing them semi-recently, LASK are still something of an unknown. So, ahead of Wednesday's clash in Linz, here's five things to know about the Reds' opponents.
Ending their wait to be Austrian champions again
For a decade, the Austrian Bundesliga had been monopolised by RB Salzburg, who won ten successive titles between 2014 and 2023. That sequence was shattered by Sturm Graz, who went back-to-back, before 2026 was finally LASK's year.
Die Schwarz-Weißen were crowned champions of Austria back in May, finishing two points above Sturm Graz, this their first league title since 1965. During this period, ten other clubs had hoisted the trophy aloft. To add to a dream campaign, Dietmar Kühbauer's team also won the ÖFB Cup.
LASK had lost their last four Austrian Cup Final appearances, again dating back 61 years, but beat Rheindorf Altach 4-2 in Klagenfurt, thereby completeed the domestic double.
LASK establishing themselves as European regulars
Despite the fact this is their Champions League debut, LASK have become regulars on the European stage. Since first doing so in 2019, die Schwarz-Weißen have now featured in a group stage of league phase in six of the last seven seasons, twice in the Conference League and three times at Europa League level.
The furthest they have gone in either competition is the round of 16, hammered by Manchester United in 2020, before being ousted from UEFA's third-tier tournament by Slavia Prague two years later.
LASK's imperssive home European record
Often with statistics, they can say two different things, depending on how you frame them. Well, that is certainly the case with LASK's recent European results. To get into the Champions League for the first time ever, Kühbauer's team produced a comeback for the ages against Celtic in the play-off round.
4-0 down on aggregate half an hour into the second leg, the Scottish champions capitulated as LASK fought back to prevail after extra time, scoring five times on the night, but it could have been eight or nine. Thus, including this historic triumph, LASK have lost just five of 30 European home matches this century.
On the flip side, that win over Celtic is die Schwarz-Weißen's only victory in 13 European fixtures, finishing second-bottom of the Conference League table without a win to their name two years ago.
What we do know is that they lost their Champions League opener last month, beaten 1-0 by AEK Athens at Agia Sophia Stadium; Răzvan Marin with a gorgeous free-kick. Nevertheless, it is hard to be certain just how strong the Austrian champions really are.
Rebuilding Raiffeisen Arena
1,928 Kopites will be in attendance for this fixture at the Raiffeisen Arena. The stadium, with a capacity of just under 20,000, opened it's doors in 2023, constructed on the site of the old Linzer Stadion. Built in 1952, this venue was very outdated, featuring fencing and a running track, so was rightly demolished.
For two seasons, LASK were forced to play at Waldstadion, which has around a third of the capacity and is located on the outskirts of the city in Pasching, but that's all worth it to have the modern stadium they can call home now.
Liverpool's record vs Austrian clubs
As already mentioned, Liverpool and LASK did clash in the Europa League in 2023. Jürgen Klopp's team came from behind to win 3-1 in Linz, before a thumping 4-0 victory on Merseyside two months later. Thus, LASK have never won any of their six meetings with Premier League sides, losing five, the sole exception a 3-3 draw with Tottenham behind-closed-doors in 2020.
On the flip side, Liverpool have won eight of ten previous meetings with Austrian sides, including each of the last four. Even when Rafa Benitez's team were defeated 1-0 by Grazer AK in 2004, they'd already won the first leg 2-0, en route to glory at the Atatürk Olimpiyat Stadı in İstanbul that season.
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