Bradley Barcola scores hat-trick as Liverpool hit six in win at LASK

Bradley Barcola produced a stunning hat‑trick as Liverpool stormed to a 6–3 victory over LASK in a goal‑packed Champions League clash in Austria.

The French forward struck twice in a dominant first half, following Ronald Araujo’s opener, as Andoni Iraola’s youthful side raced into a commanding 3–0 lead by the interval at the Raiffeisen Arena. Jeremie Frimpong added a fourth shortly after the restart, and although LASK briefly threatened a fightback, Barcola’s third and a maiden Champions League goal for Lewis Koumas ensured Liverpool collected maximum points from their opening two league‑phase fixtures.

Florian Flecker’s late double added respectability to the scoreline for the hosts, but the night belonged to Liverpool’s emerging talents.

Team News

Iraola rotated his squad with four changes, handing the captain’s armband to Kostas Tsimikas and starting Frimpong, Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha. Milos Kerkez, Alexis Mac Allister, Victor Munoz and Virgil van Dijk dropped out.

With an average age of just 24 years and 186 days, this was Liverpool’s third‑youngest Champions League starting XI in the club’s history.

Liverpool XI:

Alisson; Jacquet (Van Dijk 62), Wirtz, Tsimikas; Barcola (Munoz 73), Frimpong, Araujo (Gomez 62), Gravenberch; Nyoni (Mac Allister 85), Koumas, Ngumoha (Chambers 85).

Unused subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Kerkez, McConnell, Danns, Sonni‑Lambie, Lucky.

First Half

The opening exchanges were lively, with both sides earning early corners and LASK’s Kasper Jorgensen firing over from distance. Liverpool soon took control, however, and their pressure told midway through the half.

Tsimikas delivered a superb out‑swinging corner that Araujo met with a firm downward header to claim his first goal for the club. Within minutes, Liverpool doubled their advantage.

Ngumoha danced his way into the box and went down under pressure, but as LASK appealed for no penalty, Koumas reacted quickest, squaring for Barcola to sweep home his first Reds goal.

Koumas then had a finish ruled out for offside, and Gravenberch struck the inside of the post after slick interplay between Barcola and Florian Wirtz. The third goal arrived before the break, Barcola again combining with Wirtz before finishing calmly from close range.

Liverpool went in at half‑time three goals to the good and in complete control.

Second Half

Any hope LASK had of regrouping evaporated six minutes into the second period. Tsimikas picked out Frimpong at the back post, and the full‑back rose brilliantly to head in Liverpool’s fourth.

LASK responded with a spell of pressure, forcing Alisson into a sharp save from Krystof Danek before Robert Ljubicic pulled one back with a powerful finish.

Liverpool’s reply was immediate. Frimpong surged down the right and drilled a low cross to the far post, where Barcola arrived to complete his hat‑trick.

Koumas finally got the goal his performance deserved, converting another Frimpong delivery to make it 6–1. LASK refused to fold and Flecker struck twice in quick succession, but the outcome was never in doubt.

Liverpool’s advantage remained comfortable, and Iraola’s side head back to Anfield for their next Champions League fixture against Villarreal with a perfect start to their league‑phase campaign.