Bradley Barcola scored his first Champions League hat-trick as Liverpool thrashed LASK 6-3 in the Austrian side's first-ever home game at this level. The France international, who moved from Paris Saint-Germain for £123m, had struggled to show his quality since his arrival, but he led the way in the Raiffeisen Arena.
Barcola ends early struggles
Before kick-off, Barcola had faced criticism for his lack of early output under Andoni Iraola, alongside Florian Wirtz, who had been scrutinised after Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City. While some saw the analysis as unfair, it was accurate that Liverpool were still waiting to see why the winger arrived with a reputation as a two-time Champions League-winning France international.
This night changed that narrative. Barcola secured his first-ever Champions League hat-trick, with a first-half brace and a third in the second period, in a strange game that saw LASK refuse to accept their fate.
Hat-trick highlights
His first goal came after excellent work from Rio Ngumoha and Lewis Koumas, while Wirtz set up the second. By the time Barcola dispatched Jeremie Frimpong's cross for 5-1 in the second half, it was clear it would be Liverpool's night.
The hat-trick was Liverpool's first in the Champions League since Luis Diaz scored three against Bayer Leverkusen two years ago. Barcola now has three goals in seven appearances, embroidering his Reds record in these fledgling days.
Game descends into chaos
The second half descended into chaos as LASK pushed forward at 4-0 and then 5-1, but a repeat of their remarkable comeback against Celtic, which earned them Champions League qualification, was never truly on the cards. It was a fun watch for the neutral, and for Iraola, Barcola might just have given himself his Liverpool lift-off.
