Liverpool denies LASK in Linz a big sensational upset

In the sold‑out Upper Austria Arena, the reigning Austrian champions LASK and the English world club Liverpool faced each other as part of their UEFA Champions League debut in Linz. In front of 18,910 spectators it quickly became clear that the hoped‑for sensation was missing: Liverpool dominated the game from the start.

One‑sided Result Cosmetics

The Frenchman Bradley Barcola was man of the match with three goals, while Robert Ljubicic and Florian Flecker each scored twice, shaping the final result of 3 : 6 (0 : 3). Barcola's second chance came after a corner situation in which Ronald Araujo headed the ball, and his third goal followed just 96 seconds later.

The victory was completed by further goals from Jeremie Frimpong (header), Lewis Koumas and a double assist from Yvan Dibango for Flecker. Despite the high number of goals, the game remained clearly decided for LASK until the end.

Coach, Injuries and Outlook

Under coach Andoni Iraola, Liverpool had not yet impressed at the start of the season and suffered from significant injury concerns, while LASK under coach Dietmar Kühbauer hoped for an extraordinary level of performance – a claim that was not fulfilled.

Liverpool’s rare visit turns Linz into a Champions League showcase

Both teams dealt with absences: LASK were missing captain Sascha Horvath, George Bello and Moses Usor, while Liverpool had to do without Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike. Nevertheless, the attacking power of the Reds remained unbroken.

After the defeat, LASK will already move on to the elite level next week, this time as a guest at Sporting Lisbon, which recently impressed against RC Lens and Galatasaray Istanbul.

The Champions League debut for LASK had already taken place a month earlier with a narrow 0 : 1 loss to AEK Athens. In the home debut, the Linz side faced a world‑class club for the first time, whom they had welcomed in the arena back in 2021.

Although the game was clearly dominated by Liverpool, it highlighted the growing gap between the two clubs and made clear that LASK still has a lot of work to do to become more competitive in the future.