Champions League, Liverpool thrash LASK 6-3 in high-scoring thriller: Stats
What's the story
Liverpool FC secured a resounding 6-3 victory over Austrian champions LASK in Matchweek 2 of the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League. The win marks Liverpool's second consecutive triumph in the tournament. New signing Bradley Barcola was the star of the match, scoring a hat-trick after a slow start to his career at Anfield. Florian Wirtz also shone after recent criticism, contributing significantly to Liverpool's dominant performance.
Match highlights
Liverpool run riot in 1st half
Liverpool dominated the first half, registering 19 shots for an away team in the first half of a Champions League game since records began in 2003-04.
Ronald Araujo scored his maiden goal for the club, heading in from a corner.
Barcola then opened his account with a neat finish before doubling his tally with another from Wirtz's pass.
Despite resting Virgil van Dijk and Alexis Mac Allister, Andoni Iraola's side were relentless against LASK.
Second half surge
Barcola seals the deal for the Reds
Just six minutes into the second half, Jeremie Frimpong headed home from a Kostas Tsimikas cross to put Liverpool 4-0 up.
However, when Van Dijk and Joe Gomez were introduced at center-back in the 62nd minute, they conceded three goals.
Barcola completed his hat-trick with a tap-in from Frimpong's cross after Robert Ljubicic had scored LASK's consolation goal.
Late goals
Flecker's brace gives LASK hope
Wales striker Lewis Koumas, leading the line in Alexander Isak's absence, scored Liverpool's sixth after two efforts were ruled out for offside.
LASK's Florian Flecker reduced the deficit late on with two clinical finishes in two minutes, exposing Liverpool's sloppy defending.
Despite conceding three goals in the second half, Liverpool's dominant first-half performance secured them a comfortable victory over their Austrian opponents.
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Here are the match stats
From 12 attempts, LASK managed 4 shots on target. Liverpool had nine shots on target from 26 attempts. Andoni Iraola's men clocked a whopping 51 touches in the opposition box. LASK had 23 such touches. Liverpool managed 64.2% ball possession.
Do you know?
Koumas becomes 2nd player with this record
As per Opta, Lewis Koumas is now the second player aged 21 or younger to both score and assist a goal in a Champions League match for Liverpool, after Steven Gerrard against Dynamo Kyiv in October 2001 (also 21).
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Barcola joins these Liverpool players
As per Squawka, Barcola became the first player to score a Champions League hat-trick for Liverpool since Luis Diaz vs Bayer Leverkusen in 2024. He's the first LFC player to score one away from home in the UCL since Mohamed Salah vs Rangers in 2022.