LINZ, Austria (AP) — Bradley Barcola scored a hat trick as Liverpool coasted to a 6-3 win at Austria’s LASK in the Champions League on Wednesday.
They were his first goals for the club since joining from European champion Paris Saint-Germain in the offseason.
Ronald Araújo broke the deadlock with a header from a corner, less than two minutes before Barcola got his first goal in the 24th from a lay-off by Lewis Koumas.
Ryan Gravenberch struck the post
before Barcola got his second in the 37th, finishing with aplomb after being played through by Florian Wirtz.
Jeremie Frimpong, one of the smallest players on the field, headed Liverpool’s fourth in off the right post in the 51st.
Robert Ljubičić pulled a goal back in the 63rd, a minute after going on as a substitute, before Frimpong gave Barcola a simple tap-in to complete his hat trick in the 66th.
Koumas was left free to get Liverpool’s sixth six minutes later, but Florian Flecker – another substitute – got the biggest cheer when he scored his team’s second with a diving header in the 74th.
Liverpool coach Andoni Iraola dropped Virgil van Dijk to the substitutes’ bench with French defender Jérémy Jacquet starting. The Dutch star replaced Jacquet for the last half hour or so.
Anis Hadj Moussa scored twice as Dutch leader Feyenoord came from behind to beat visiting Como 3-2 in the other early game.
Assane Diao gave Como the lead with the team’s first shot in the 18th minute after outmuscling Javi López on the right and firing inside the far post.
But Gjivai Zechiël replied two minutes later with a spectacular shot, and Algeria winger Hadj Moussa scored early in the second half before sealing the result in the 82nd.
Tasos Douvikas scored Como's consolation in stoppage time.
Scandal-hit Manchester City was hosting fellow big spender PSG later for its first European game since being charged with financial rule-breaking over nearly a decade in the Premier League.
Also later, Real Madrid was visiting Roma for coach José Mourinho’s return, Bodø/Glimt was playing Borussia Dortmund, Real Betis was entertaining Porto, Fenerbahçe was visiting Aston Villa, Stuttgart traveled to Slovan Bratislava, and Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk was hosting AEK Athens at Chelsea’s ground in London.
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