Barcola scores hat-trick as Liverpool thrash LASK

Bradley Barcola scored a hat-trick and Florian Wirtz shone after recent criticism as Liverpool thrashed LASK 6-3 to earn their second win in the Champions League.

Barcola kick-started his Liverpool career, having not scored or assisted in six appearances since his £123m move from Paris Saint-Germain, while Wirtz responded to calls for him to be dropped with a fine performance in what was expected to be a comfortable evening against the Austrian Bundesliga champions.

Liverpool had 19 shots in the opening period, a new record for an away team in the first half of a Champions League game, as Ronald Araujo headed in his first goal for the club before Barcola got off the mark with a tidy finish and then slotted in another from a Wirtz pass.