· 2 min readIn this LASK vs Liverpool match, I analyse the key tactical moments, individual performances and turning points of the game.
Liverpool travelled to Austria knowing they had to beat a LASK side who, despite challenging near the top of the Austrian league, are nowhere near the quality of their English opponents. The 3-0 defeat to Manchester City was still fresh in the memory, although the scoreline was harsher than the performance had been before Gravenberch’s sending-off.
There was also plenty of curiosity surrounding Wirtz, who had yet to convince. He kept his place in the starting XI and, this time, delivered on the pitch.
In the 11th minute, the German received the ball on the left, beat two opponents with a lovely dribble and fired a low shot that forced Jungwirth into a save. Liverpool were dominating, but still needed to turn their possession into a consistent attacking threat. That changed in the 22nd minute, when Tsimikas delivered a corner and Ronald Araújo rose above his marker to head home, using his physical strength to open the scoring.
Two minutes later, Rio Ngumoha drove forward down the right and kept the move alive. The ball eventually fell to Koumas, who laid it off for Barcola. The Frenchman shot first time with the goal in front of him and scored his first goal for Liverpool.
The English side were playing with freedom and confidence, finding space to take their opponents on one-on-one. Koumas even scored in the 30th minute after turning brilliantly inside the box, but he was offside. Shortly afterwards, Gravenberch hit the post in a move that began with a fantastic dribble from Wirtz and continued through Barcola. The third goal eventually arrived in the 37th minute: LASK gave the ball away in their own half, Wirtz threaded a pass through three opponents to find Barcola, and the Frenchman controlled it before finishing with his left foot.
At half-time, Liverpool had 19 shots to their opponents’ five and a three-goal lead that could easily have been even bigger.
The second half started in much the same way. Barcola worked his way down the left and created the space for Tsimikas to cross. Frimpong, despite standing just 1.71 metres tall, got in front of his marker and headed home to make it 4-0, with Tsimikas registering his second assist. Koumas had another goal ruled out for offside in the 53rd minute, while Daněk forced a good save from Alisson shortly afterwards.
In the 62nd minute, LASK pulled one back. Dibango crossed from the left and Ljubičić found himself with space to shoot. Adeniran’s movement, dragging Van Dijk towards the goal, helped open up the crucial space. Liverpool were taking their foot off the gas, which is perfectly understandable with a four-goal lead, but managing the game cannot mean switching off defensively.
The response was immediate. Ngumoha found Frimpong, who sent in a low cross for Barcola to tap home and complete his hat-trick. In the 72nd minute, a disastrous pass from Andrés Andrade allowed Frimpong to win the ball back and cross for Koumas, who made it 6-1. Jungwirth was left looking poor once again, allowing the ball to slip through his legs. The 22-year-old goalkeeper showed far too much hesitation throughout the game.
But LASK refused to give up. Kalajdžić released Dibango, who lifted the ball over Alisson for Flecker to head home and make it 6-2. Three minutes later, Dibango caused more problems down the left, beat Frimpong and crossed for Flecker to strike the far post. Two assists in quick succession, three in total, and a stadium that was beginning to believe in an unlikely comeback.
It wasn’t to be. Liverpool controlled the closing stages and won 6-3 in a nine-goal thriller.
Post-match
The attacking performance was extraordinary, but conceding three goals after building such a comfortable lead is a warning: even on a night like this, you can’t mistake being comfortable for switching off.
