LASK 3-6 Liverpool: Barcola Hat-Trick as Reds Win Nine Goal Thriller

Liverpool returned to European action as they took on Austrian side LASK away in Linz, with Andoni Iraola's side looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat at home in the Premier League against Manchester City.

Will LASK cause the Reds an upset, or could a few players gain some much-needed confidence in the UEFA Champions League?

LFC made four changes for this game, with Alexis Mac Allister, Milos Kerkez, Virgil van Dijk and Victor Munoz all rested amid an intense schedule.

In came Trey Nyoni and Lewis Koumas for their first Champions League starts, as well as Jeremie Frimpong and Kostas Tsimikas, who captained the rotated starting XI.

Andoni Iraola explained prior to the game that while some may see the likes of Nyoni, Ngumoha and Koumas as academy players, he views them as first-team options at his disposal. 

As expected, given the gap in on-paper quality between the sides, Liverpool started as the team with control of the ball, with the first sight of goal coming from Jeremie Frimpong.

The Dutch wing-back found himself on the edge of the box, but a left-footed strike sailed over the goal.

It was then the home side's turn to attack as they ventured up the right wing and tried to cut a cross back on the by-line, but it was smartly blocked by Jeremy Jacquet.

Florian Wirtz would have his first chance of the evening as he danced between two defenders on the edge of the box, before having a shot that was just about claimed by the goalkeeper.

Bradley Barcola's influence on the game would begin to grow, with it being clear he had beating of his full-back. Slipped through by Wirtz, he had a shot on goal, which was diverted towards the side netting by a last-ditch challenge from a LASK defender.

The Liverpool pressure would finally pay off via their sixth corner of the game. A pinpoint delivery from Kostas Tsimikas would be redirected into the back of the net by Ronald Araujo, 1-0 to the Reds after 20 minutes.

Just a couple of minutes later, the scoreline would be doubled after a brilliant run down the right from Rio Ngumoha, who was eventually dispossessed in the box.

The ball fell to Lewis Koumas, who held off the defender, laid it off to Bradley Barcola, who calmly finished into the bottom left corner, and Liverpool's dominance was beginning to show on the scoreline, 2-0.

Lewis Koumas then thought he had got himself on the scoresheet, after a brilliant turn and finish just inside the penalty area, but it was ruled out for a narrow offside. 

This wouldn't deter the Reds as they continued to push for more. Wirtz got the ball out wide to Barcola, who played in Gravenberch, but his shot hit the inside of the post and was cleared.

3-0 lead would quickly be achieved by Andoni Iraola's side. Wirtz zipped a ball through the LASK backline to a wide-open Barcola, who dinked it into the net.

 And the half would end with Liverpool three goals to the good and playing arguably the best football they have all season so far.

No changes from the Iraola at the start of the second half, and given the way his team performed during the first 45 minutes, it came as little surprise.

LASK would start the half with a little more urgency and threat going forward, having a snatched shot go narrowly wide of Alisson's post. 

However, Liverpool would soon regain control and add another goal to the scoreline. Tsimikas dinked a ball into a dangerous area, with Jeremie Frimpong leaping into the air, getting his head to it, and squeezing it past Jungwirth in the LASK goal, 4-0.

Lewis Koumas then had another goal ruled out for offside after an exquisite finish from the Welshman, but he was correctly judged to have been slightly ahead of the defender.

Two subs were made at the 60-minute mark, with both centre backs Jacquet and Araujo coming off, and Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez coming on in their place.

But shortly after, LASK would get a goal back after Joe Gomez left a gap behind him, leaving attacker Robert Ljubicic free to finish from close range, with Alisson furious with his clean sheet being wiped away, 4-1.

There would be good news a few minutes later: Bradley Barcola was able to get his hat-trick, his first for Liverpool and the easiest finish of the night.

Frimpong played a perfectly weighted ball across the six-yard box for Barcola to tap into an empty net, 5-1.

The goal that fans of the Merseyside club have all wanted to see, Lewis Koumas finally got the goal he deserved.

Frimpong again with a cross into the box that found Koumas would have had all the time in the world to finally get on the scoresheet, 6-1.

Barcola's night would come to an end on the 73rd minute mark; he was replaced by Victor Munoz.

More sloppy defending by the Reds would let LASK get another through via a Florian Flecker diving header, 6-2.

The goals didn't stop there as LASK would get another after Frimpong was beaten in a physical duel with left back Dibango, who whipped a cross into the box and it was slotted in by Flecker again, 6-3.

The final two changes for Liverpool would see Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni come off, with Luke Chambers and Alexis Mac Allister coming on for the last five minutes of normal time.

And that would be that in this goal-filled contest, as Liverpool secured a 6-3 away win over LASK, to make sure they responded to last weekend's defeat while also having six points out of six in the Champions League.