Liverpool’s R2.6bn Signing Nets Hat-Trick I…

Liverpool got back to winning ways after thrashing LASK 6-3 in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night.

UEFA Champions League
Teams: LASK v Liverpool
Result: 3-6
Scorers: Ljubičić (63′) , Flecker (77′, 74′) / Barcola (24′, 37′, 66′), Araujo (22′), Frimpong (51′)

The six-time champions chased a second win from as many matches in the campaign particularly after Sunday’s disappointing 3-0 drubbing against Manchester City in the Premier League, as LASK looked to pull an upset to get their first win in the tournament.

After a quiet start to the contest, Ronald Araujo made the breakthrough in the 22nd minute after meeting a pin-point corner-kick from Konstantinos Tsimikas to head in the near corner – well beyond goalkeeper Lukas Jungwirth.

Bradley Barcola got in on the act two minutes later and opened his account for the club since arriving when he darted cleverly in the six-yard box to lash a cutback from Lewis Koumas in the bottom-corner.

The Reds pulled further clear of LASK inside the final ten minutes to the break after Wirtz came short to the edge of the area to link-up perfectly with Barcola, who took the ball in his stride before firing into the far corner.

Liverpool continued to rip into the host and added to their tally five minutes into the second half when Jeremie Frimpong displayed a telling leap at the back-post to place in a pin-point header.

The home team weren’t out of it and grabbed a goal with 62 minutes played through a superbly taken finish at the near post by Robert Ljubicic following a low pass to the six-yard area.

Barcola restored their four-goal cushion after four minutes and ended the evening with a hat-trick after cutting in to the near side of the area to guide a square ball from Frimpong into the bottom-corner.

Koumas – making his full debut in the competition – made it memorable night around the final ten minutes when he found acres of space in the box to drill home Frimpong’s cross, getting his first goal for the first team.

Reds manager Andoni Iraola instituted a change of personnel in the attacking third at the same time and saw Victor Munoz come on in the place the day’s hat-trick hero in Barcola, however LASK bagged a second goal minute later after Yvan Dibango beat Alisson on the left-side and drilled a cross in the centre of the box for Florian Flecker to head home.

Flecker troubled the Merseyside giants again and completed a brace after meeting another floated ball from the left of the area by Dibango to lash in the far corner of the net.

The Reds didn’t lose their way amidst the brief scare but had done more than enough to secure the maximum points to make it two wins from two in the Champions League.

Next Five Fixtures:

LASK: Austria Lustenau (A), Sporting CP (A), RB Salzburg (H), Ried (H), WSG Tirol (H)

Liverpool: Brentford (A), Villarreal (H), Brighton & Home Albion (H), Chelsea (H), Arsenal (H)

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