Bradley Barcola scored the first hat-trick of his club and international career as Liverpool returned to winning ways with a 6-3 victory over LASK in Linz.
The 24-year-old, making his 238th appearance across club and country football, scored twice before half-time before completing his treble with a tap-in after the break. His goals proved decisive after Liverpool had lost 3-0 to Manchester City on Sunday.
Florian Wirtz also impressed and provided an assist, having faced questions alongside Barcola before the match over their slow starts since joining for £116m and £123m respectively.
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola had defended both players before the game, saying he trusted them “100%”. Afterwards, he praised their contribution to the result.
“I’m really happy for Bradley,” Iraola said.
“You were asking me yesterday about him not making the numbers and [the same with] Florian, and I think both of them played really, really well today. I think they made a difference.
“Bradley was a threat, always when one-on-one [and] certainly in behind. He helped us a lot in controlling the game by finding the pockets. I am happy for both of them.
“I think for their confidence it’s very good. I think they feel now that we trust them a lot. I think it’s going to be very good, very good for them.”
Barcola could have scored more, with one finish made with his right foot and another with his left before his close-range third.
“I think he has to enjoy this [as] scoring a hat-trick in the Champions League is always very difficult,” Iraola added.
“Even yesterday in training, I could feel he was very lively. Sometimes you feel these things [are going to happen]. We were feeling he was in a good place going into the game.”
Brentford will provide a sterner test
Liverpool dominated the opening half against the Austrian Bundesliga champions, reaching half-time with a three-goal advantage. Their 19 shots before the interval were the most recorded by any team in the first half of a Champions League away match since 2003-04.
They eased off after the hour mark and conceded three goals, although the match was effectively settled by then.
Jeremie Frimpong scored and supplied two assists, while Kostas Tsimikas created two goals. Ronald Araujo scored his first goal for the club since joining in the summer.
Lewis Koumas also found the net after assisting Barcola in the first half. The 21-year-old had two further goals disallowed for offside, but became Liverpool’s youngest player to score and assist in a Champions League match, aged 21 years and 25 days. Steven Gerrard had previously held the record at 21 years and 139 days against Dynamo Kyiv in 2001.
LASK had been without a win in their previous four matches, and Stephen Warnock said the result offered limited evidence of how Liverpool would fare against stronger opposition.
“I don’t read too much into it, because I expected Liverpool to go there and win, and win comfortably,” Warnock said on 5 Live.
He added: “Can Barcola do that again, away at Brentford, because that is what they have essentially bought him for, to play in big games away from home?
“He hasn’t played that much football this season so [this game] was about getting minutes in his legs and getting him fit and getting him sharper. The acid test will be Brentford away.”
Liverpool visit Brentford on Saturday, with the Bees fourth in the table and unbeaten in the league.
