Andoni Iraola
via Reuters
Liverpool claimed a thrilling 6-3 win in the Champions League on the road against LASK thanks to a stunning Bradley Barcola hat-trick.
The Reds dominated in the first-half thanks to two goals from the French winger and a header from Ronald Araujo, before second-half goals from Jeremie Frimpong, Barcola, and Lewis Koumas were enough to get them all three points, despite the home side trying to forget a late comeback.
The win came despite Andoni Iraola making several changes to his team following the 3-0 defeat to Man City at the weekend, as he looked to freshen things up, which handed a number of players the opportunity to stake a claim for their place in the side.
Rio Ngumoha got a start on the right wing, while Lewis Koumas started in attack, Trey Nyoni started in midfield, and Kostas Tsimikas started at left-back.
All of them shone and made an impact, but the Greece international stood out more than others, and he's now pushing to be included more often ahead of a struggling Milos Kerkez.
Tsimikas was surprisingly named as captain on the night, and turned in a top performance in only his second start of the season. The 30-year-old registered two assists on the night, won all of his ground duels, made six recoveries, completed six key passes, and completed 95% of his passes throughout the game.
His performance in Austria saw Rousing the Kop hand him an 8/10 rating for his showing, and there are now serious questions to answer for the manager over who his starting left-back should be at the weekend when Liverpool take on Brentford at the Gtech Stadium.
Kerkez has established himself as the regular first-choice since moving from Bournemouth in 2025, where he was a key player under the Spanish manager. But his performances haven't been great, and his position is now surely under threat.
Tsimikas Deserves Run Over Kerkez
roma tsimikas
roma tsimikas
While Tsimikas wasn't expected to have a future at Anfield beyond the summer, having returned from a season-long loan spell with AS Roma, he is part of the squad until January at least.
It should be mentioned and acknowledged that Liverpool were playing against LASK, who are not a good side in the grand scheme of things, and would probably struggle in the Championship over the course of a season.
But the team can only play against who is in front of them, and the Greek did very well. Kerkez's performances have regularly been a problem for Liverpool to deal with, and he may benefit from a short spell out of the side. Tsimikas has experience and quality to fill in, and if he can continue with this level of performance, then there is no reason why he can't make the starting spot his own.
Liverpool star Florian Wirtz waves to the crowd
Liverpool star Florian Wirtz waves to the crowd