Liverpool's six-goal night in Linz eases pressure but leaves the defence unresolved

Liverpool beat LASK 6-3 in the Champions League on 14 October 2026 at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz, a second win in as many European matches that leaves them on six points. Bradley Barcola scored a hat-trick, his first for the club since a £123m summer move, having not scored or assisted in six appearances beforehand. Ronald Araujo headed in his first Liverpool goal on 22 minutes from a Kostas Tsimikas corner, Jeremie Frimpong scored on 51, and Lewis Koumas on 72.

The shot count tells the story of the night more clearly than the margin. Liverpool had 26 shots to LASK's 12, nine on target to four, 11 corners to three, and 64 per cent possession to 36. They also had 19 shots in the opening period, a new record for an away team in the first half of a Champions League game. Against their average across earlier 2026/27 matches in all competitions, those figures stand out: 26 shots against an average of 13, 11 corners against an average of five, 64 per cent possession against an average of 46.8, and 524 accurate passes against an average of 339.2.

Expected goals frame it differently. Liverpool's 3.34 against LASK's 2.02 suggests the Austrians created enough to trouble a defence that has been questioned all season. Liverpool scored 2.66 goals more than their expected goals here, against an average of 0.0 across their earlier matches. LASK's four big chances against Liverpool's five is a narrower gap than the scoreline implies, and the three goals conceded came from a side with a fraction of Liverpool's resources.

Andoni Iraola made four changes from the side that lost to Manchester City three days earlier, resting Virgil van Dijk. Florian Wirtz impressed after recent criticism, and Barcola's hat-trick was the headline. But the standout performers were a new signing finding his feet and young squad players, which is both the encouragement and the caveat.

The season context makes the result harder to place. Liverpool's league record under Iraola in 2026/27 is two wins, three draws and one defeat from six games, 1.5 points per game. Under Jurgen Klopp in 2019/20, the comparable league return was 32 wins, three draws and three defeats, 2.61 points per game across 38 matches. That is a different squad, a different manager and a different era, but it is the standard against which any Liverpool side is measured, and the gap is wide. Six league games is far too small a sample to call a trend, and the European campaign is only two matches old.

The squad turnover since the summer offers part of the explanation. Araujo, Jeremy Jacquet, Lucca Brughmans, Djylian N'Guessan, Barcola and Victor Munoz have arrived; Curtis Jones, Stefan Bajcetic, Carter Pinnington, Ibrahima Konate, Harvey Elliott and Andrew Robertson have left. That is a significant rebuild of the defensive and midfield spine, and it shows in the balance of the team.

Barcola's hat-trick does not settle his adaptation, but it does buy him time. One match against a 5-4-1 LASK side that could not withstand the pressure is not proof of a turnaround. The attacking volume was real, but the defensive fragility that has dogged the season remains a question the next matches will answer. Liverpool have six points and a hat-trick to celebrate, and a defence still to fix.