Barcola's Brilliant Hat-Trick! | LASK 3-6 Liverpool | Champions League Match Reaction

So,

LASK 3, Liverpool 6.

I don't think we called it, did we? We didn't predict that one.

No.

But a bit of a wild night, and something that, you know, let's be honest, it's not the most difficult of opponents, but it's a feel-good victory, and it's something that I think the club, the team needed off the back of the weekend, didn't they?

Yeah, do you know what? I'm slightly annoyed by it because at 4-0 and 5-1, it's looking like a really strong Liverpool performance where the only thing you're talking about is Bradley Barcola's hat trick and how it's lift off for his Liverpool career and how, you know, it was limited inferior opposition, but you've still got to go there and do the business and it was a confidence boost for Florian Wirtz and so many positives spitting out from it.

And then, you know, they score three goals in 14 minutes and it just becomes a little bit of a madcap game where you're reflecting on a bit of a shitty night, all told.

So I'm a little bit disappointed in that regard.

I'm more disappointed in the fact that I'm writing an on-the-whistle piece about Barcola.

And I said to Paul Wheelock, our editor at half-time, if nothing else happens, I'll focus on Barcola for the on-the-whistle piece.

And I'm going to get his hat to him.

I'm going to do a few hundred words into that.

I think it's great.

He scored that hat to him.

Right in the afternoon, he was settling in.

And then goals just kept raining in.

Goals, goals, goals.

So I couldn't get to write me on the whistle piece because I was updating the blog, tweeting out the score, blah, blah, blah.

So I think that's what annoyed me most because I had this idea of writing a piece that just focused on Bradley Balcola and how it was his sort of liftoff moment at Liverpool.

And then it just descended into a bit of a chaotic game, didn't it? But, you know, you are right, all told, a confidence boost against a team who are, you know, it was their first game at home in the Champions League, you know, so it's certainly right to call them minnows of the Champions League.

Austrian champions, of course, and actually Austrian Cup winners as well, I think so.

They're not going to be one of the strongest sides in the competition, but Liverpool still have to go there and you know beat them and they've done so with a number of players missing a number of players arrested and rotated and come through it unscathed you know six points from six if they win that Villarreal game now you're looking at obviously nine from nine and I was looking you know the last two seasons 16 points has been enough to finish inside that top eight And I don't think Liverpool need to go hell for leather to try and finish first or second or third in this group stage because, you know, they finished third last season, got them a tie with Galatasaray and then PSG.

And then they finished first in this inaugural group stage and ended up meeting PSG anyway.

So, you know, this idea, this theory that the higher up you finish, the easier you draw, it doesn't really play out.

In reality, so as long as Liverpool are inside that top eight comfortably, you know, whether that be sixth or fifth or whatever, then they can look to maybe rest a few later on in the group stages.

So,

LASK 3, Liverpool 6.

I don't think we called it, did we? We didn't predict that one.

No.

But a bit of a wild night, and something that, you know, let's be honest, it's not the most difficult of opponents, but it's a feel-good victory, and it's something that I think the club, the team needed off the back of the weekend, didn't they?

Yeah, do you know what? I'm slightly annoyed by it because at 4-0 and 5-1, it's looking like a really strong Liverpool performance where the only thing you're talking about is Bradley Barcola's hat trick and how it's lift off for his Liverpool career and how, you know, it was limited inferior opposition, but you've still got to go there and do the business and it was a confidence boost for Florian Wirtz and so many positives spitting out from it.

And then, you know, they score three goals in 14 minutes and it just becomes a little bit of a madcap game where you're reflecting on a bit of a shitty night, all told.

So I'm a little bit disappointed in that regard.

I'm more disappointed in the fact that I'm writing an on-the-whistle piece about Barcola.

And I said to Paul Wheelock, our editor at half-time, if nothing else happens, I'll focus on Barcola for the on-the-whistle piece.

And I'm going to get his hat to him.

I'm going to do a few hundred words into that.

I think it's great.

He scored that hat to him.

Right in the afternoon, he was settling in.

And then goals just kept raining in.

Goals, goals, goals.

So I couldn't get to write me on the whistle piece because I was updating the blog, tweeting out the score, blah, blah, blah.

So I think that's what annoyed me most because I had this idea of writing a piece that just focused on Bradley Balcola and how it was his sort of liftoff moment at Liverpool.

And then it just descended into a bit of a chaotic game, didn't it? But, you know, you are right, all told, a confidence boost against a team who are, you know, it was their first game at home in the Champions League, you know, so it's certainly right to call them minnows of the Champions League.

Austrian champions, of course, and actually Austrian Cup winners as well, I think so.

They're not going to be one of the strongest sides in the competition, but Liverpool still have to go there and you know beat them and they've done so with a number of players missing a number of players arrested and rotated and come through it unscathed you know six points from six if they win that Villarreal game now you're looking at obviously nine from nine and I was looking you know the last two seasons 16 points has been enough to finish inside that top eight And I don't think Liverpool need to go hell for leather to try and finish first or second or third in this group stage because, you know, they finished third last season, got them a tie with Galatasaray and then PSG.

And then they finished first in this inaugural group stage and ended up meeting PSG anyway.

So, you know, this idea, this theory that the higher up you finish, the easier you draw, it doesn't really play out.

In reality, so as long as Liverpool are inside that top eight comfortably, you know, whether that be sixth or fifth or whatever, then they can look to maybe rest a few later on in the group stages.