Lewis Koumas scored his first Champions League goal for Liverpool in a 6-3 victory at LASK on Wednesday night, but it was 'unbelievable' teammate Bradley Barcola who stole the show with a hat-trick.
The Reds took a 4-0 lead in Austria before conceding three goals as manager Andoni Iraola replaced both centre-backs with a Premier League game on Saturday in mind. Despite the defensive lapses, Liverpool were ruthless in attack, with Barcola scoring his first three goals for the club since his summer move from Paris Saint-Germain.
First goals for Barcola and Araujo
Ronald Araujo also netted his first Liverpool goal, while Jeremie Frimpong and then Koumas added to the tally against LASK.
'It's a great feeling and to do it for Liverpool is what means the most,' Koumas told TNT Sports after the match. 'Really happy and good win away.'
Barcola has had a difficult start to life at Liverpool since the club signed him in a deal worth up to £123 million, but the hat-trick should boost his confidence. Koumas, 21, offered his perspective on the new arrival's struggles.
Koumas backs Barcola to shine
'I think it's been really hard for him – not in terms of on the pitch because in the changing room we all know how good he is. But moving country and trying to settle in fast is tough,' Koumas said.
'I found it tough on loan so changing country completely must be something else. I'm just really happy that's he's shown how good he is tonight. Hopefully he just carries on doing it now. He's unbelievable. He's an unbelievable talent and I'm sure he'll be unreal for Liverpool.'
Iraola also praised Barcola's performance, saying: 'I think he played so well today and not just the goals. He had more chances to score, he was always a threat attacking the spaces in behind. In training sometimes you feel when a player is in the zone, and fortunately tonight for us he has shown the level that he has.'
Iraola praises Koumas and Wirtz
On Koumas, the Spaniard added: 'He has to enjoy it because he deserves it. I think he scored two disallowed goals which is unlucky for him but he kept pressing, making the runs in behind and doing his job. I think it's fair that he score his goal and can have his moment of celebration with the supporters.'
Florian Wirtz also impressed on Wednesday night, having faced criticism since joining from Bayer Leverkusen in 2025. Iraola said: 'I think he was amazing in possession. I think he had lively passes, good assists, he helped us to control the game. Especially in the first half where he was roaming around and finding good spots. It was a good game from Florian.'
