Liverpool made it back-to-back Champions League victories with a 6-3 hammering of LASK in Austria, with Bradley Barcola scoring a hat-trick, and Florian Wirtz and Rio Ngumoha also catching the eye
Bradley Barcola scored a hat-trick on Wednesday
Bradley Barcola scored a hat-trick on Wednesday(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool secured back-to-back Champions League wins with a commanding 6-3 thrashing of LASK in Austria on Wednesday.
Bradley Barcola stole the show with a hat-trick, while Ronald Araujo, Jeremie Frimpong, and Lewis Koumas also got on the scoresheet in a thoroughly entertaining encounter at the Raiffeisen Arena. Journalists from the British press were present in Austria, and here is their take on what proved to be a resounding triumph for Iraola's Reds.
The Daily Mail's Lewis Steele wrote: "Barcola was unplayable and the away end sang about how he 'runs down the wing for me' to the tune of Buddy Holly's Heartbeat.
READ MORE: Alisson refuses to hide from impact of Mohamed Salah departure at Liverpool
"In truth, he does a lot more than just making runs down the wing. He cuts inside, he can score goals, he is not selfish and enjoys link-up play, he is hard-working off the ball.
"Or, to summarise, he is a complete player who is a two-time European champion worth £123 million ($163 million) for a reason."
Paul Joyce, writing in The Times, observed: "A first-ever senior treble also represented his first overdue contributions since a £123 million move from Paris Saint-Germain and should not only aid his acclimatization, but encourage him to set his sights on making the difference when opponents are not quite so obliging as the Austrian champions proved.
Barcola cost Liverpool a fortune during the summer
Barcola cost Liverpool a fortune during the summer(Image: Getty Images)
"Saturday’s Premier League visit to Brentford would be a good time to prove his leading role here can be a platform for consistency."
Meanwhile, in The Independent, Jamie Braidwood noted: "Ironically, the standout winger on the night was arguably Rio Ngumoha, with the 18-year-old tormenting LASK throughout with his direct dribbling and trickery out wide.
"But it was Barcola who produced the clinical touches in the area, adding to his electric bursts of speed and movement behind the LASK backline."
Writing in The Mirror, Samuel Meade stated: "Forget any caveats about the level of opposition, this is the type of game that a £100 million player should thrive in, and that is exactly what Florian Wirtz did.
"The game just looked to stand still for a second every time the German got the ball, and it's that type of quality Liverpool thought they'd landed last summer.
"Such performances have been few and far between, but with an inexperienced striker ahead of him, and a young midfielder behind him, Wirtz needed to take charge — and take charge he did."
Liverpool's next game is on Saturday at Brentford.
The Reds are in need of some Premier League points, having picked up just nine from their first six games this season.