Bradley Barcola silenced his critics on Wednesday, scoring a hat-trick as Liverpool won a chaotic Champions League match 6-3 against LASK in Linz, Austria. The France forward ended a goal drought that had followed his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, and his treble was the highlight of a game played at the Raiffeisen Arena.
Barcola had come under fire for a series of lacklustre performances since his move from Paris Saint-Germain in August, a deal worth 123 million pounds ($161m). His first goals for Liverpool came in his seventh appearance for the club, and they gave the forward a chance to justify his high price tag.
Araujo and Barcola put Liverpool in control early
Ronald Araujo opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, rising highest to meet a corner from Kostas Tsimikas and heading past LASK goalkeeper Lukas Jungwirth. It was the on-loan Barcelona defender’s first goal for the club. Barcola replied 96 seconds later, finishing off an incisive run by Rio Ngumoha into the LASK area.
Barcola scored Liverpool’s third in the 37th minute, after a quick exchange with Florian Wirtz. The German played a pinpoint return pass, allowing Barcola to fire past Jungwirth. The move was a direct answer to the criticism that both players had faced in recent weeks.
Frimpong, Koumas and a late LASK fightback
Jeremie Frimpong, who has also frustrated Liverpool supporters since signing last year, added the fourth goal in the 51st minute. Tsimikas delivered a cross and Frimpong rose to head into the bottom corner, a goal that was welcomed by the Dutch right-back. Robert Ljubicic reduced the deficit for LASK in the 63rd minute with a composed finish from a pass by Yvan Dibango.
Barcola restored the three-goal cushion in the 66th minute with a nimble finish from another Frimpong pass, completing his hat-trick. Teed up by Frimpong, Lewis Koumas struck Liverpool’s sixth in the 72nd minute with a searing shot, his first Champions League goal. Liverpool then lost control in the closing stages, and Florian Flecker scored twice for LASK, with a diving header that punished slack defending and a close-range finish in the 77th minute.
Iraola’s rotation and Liverpool’s defensive worries
The win was a welcome boost for Andoni Iraola, whose side had suffered their first defeat in eight games as Liverpool manager when Premier League leaders Manchester City won 3-0 at Anfield on Sunday. Liverpool maintained their 100 percent record in this season’s tournament after beating Atletico Madrid in their opening game.
The trip to Linz was the second of six games in 18 days, and Iraola made several changes to protect his players from burnout. Reds captain Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez, Alexis Mac Allister and Victor Munoz were all rested. Injuries to Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai, who all missed the trip, had already increased the pressure on Wirtz and Barcola to lead the attack.
Iraola said this week that he had “100 percent” trust in Barcola and Wirtz, who had struggled since joining from Bayer Leverkusen last year. The pair repaid that faith with a display of their qualities. Iraola will now expect them to deliver that level of intensity and quality on a regular basis, and he will still be concerned about his side’s defensive issues, which were exposed late in the match.
