Barcola hat-trick leads Liverpool to 6-3 win over LASK

Liverpool defeated LASK 6-3 in the Champions League on Wednesday, October 14, as Bradley Barcola scored his first goals for the club with a hat-trick. The forward’s three goals helped Liverpool build a commanding lead, though LASK scored twice late in the match. Ronald Araújo opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, heading in a corner from Kostas Tsimikas. Barcola followed 96 seconds later, finishing after Rio Ngumoha’s run into the area. He added his second in the 37th minute after Florian Wirtz returned a pass, giving Liverpool a 3-0 halftime lead. Jeremie Frimpong made it 4-0 in the 51st minute, heading in a Tsimikas cross. Robert Ljubičić pulled one back for LASK in the 63rd minute, but Barcola completed his hat-trick three minutes later, finishing a pass from Frimpong. Lewis Koumas scored Liverpool’s sixth in the 72nd minute. LASK’s Florian Flecker scored in the 74th and 77th minutes, narrowing the margin after Liverpool had led 6-1. Liverpool had brought on defenders Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez, but conceded twice in the closing stages. The final score was 6-3. The performance marked a turnaround for Barcola, who had not scored for Liverpool before the match.