Bradley Barcola finally takes flight for Liverpool

Bradley Barcola walked out of the LASK Stadion with the match ball tucked securely inside a Liverpool carrier bag. "In English? No, sorry, my English isn't good enough yet," the French winger said with a polite smile, turning down post-match interview requests as he made his way to the team bus.

His command of the language may still be a work in progress as he settles into life on Merseyside, but on Wednesday night, his feet did all the talking.

After a sluggish start to his Anfield career, this felt like the true lift-off for the club's marquee summer arrival. Barcola produced his first masterclass since his £123 million ($162m) switch from Paris Saint-Germain, inspiring Andoni Iraola's side to a thrilling 6-3 demolition of the Austrian champions in a chaotic Champions League clash.

In doing so, Barcola became only the fifth player in Liverpool history to score an away hat-trick in Europe's elite club competition. He joins an elite club alongside Mohamed Salah (against Rangers in 2022), Diogo Jota (against Atalanta in 2020), Sadio Mane (against Porto in 2018), and Michael Owen (against Spartak Moscow in 2002).

"I'm really pleased for Bradley because yesterday I was asked why he wasn't scoring enough," Iraola told reporters. "Aside from the goals, he was a constant threat—in one-on-one situations and running in behind. He needs to enjoy this moment because scoring a hat-trick in the Champions League is never easy."

"Even in training yesterday, you could see how sharp and energetic he looked. You never know how things will translate onto the pitch the next day, but his performance didn't come as a huge surprise because we could sense he was in great shape."

A word of caution is warranted regarding the level of opposition. Against LASK, Barcola was afforded pockets of time and space that simply do not exist in the Premier League. Saturday's trip to Brentford will offer a much sterner examination.

Yet in terms of building confidence, the way Barcola grew in stature as the contest unfolded underscored the significance of the night. When he coolly slotted home from Lewis Koumas's cutback midway through the first half to make it 2-0, you could almost see the weight lifting off his shoulders. The sheer delight among his team-mates told its own story.

Suddenly playing with complete freedom, Barcola had defenders chasing shadows with a succession of slick turns and trickery. He effortlessly nutmegged Samuel Adeniran before being stopped by a desperate defensive block, and doubled his tally before the interval. That second strike offered a tantalising glimpse of what lies ahead, exchanging passes with a resurgent Florian Wirtz before taking a clever touch on his right foot and ruthlessly picking out the bottom corner with his left.

"Flo helped us control the tempo by finding pockets of space," Iraola added. "Both Bradley and Flo were outstanding and decisive. I think they can feel how much trust we have in them."

Having lifted silverware with PSG over the past two campaigns, Barcola is no stranger to big European nights. His desire to step out of his comfort zone in Paris was a key factor in his move to Merseyside, driven by an ambition to become a leading protagonist rather than merely a high-profile squad option.

A disrupted pre-season hampered his initial adaptation, but after going scoreless in his first six outings for Liverpool, he walked away with the first hat-trick of his senior professional career across 238 appearances for club and country.

Barcola made a beeline for the jubilant travelling Liverpool support after sealing his treble in the second half, turning home Jeremie Frimpong's low cross following brilliant build-up play from Rio Ngumoha. Shortly afterwards, he was substituted to a thunderous standing ovation from the away end.

"I think it's been tough for Bradley," Koumas told LFCTV. "Everyone in the dressing room knows just how good he is, but moving to a new country and adapting quickly isn't easy. I found going out on loan to Hull City difficult enough last season, so moving countries must be on another level. I'm buzzing for him that he showed his quality tonight. He's a special talent."

It was an evening packed with positives for Iraola, who rolled the dice by naming Liverpool's third-youngest starting lineup in Champions League history, with an average age of 24 years and 186 days. Captain Virgil van Dijk, nursing a calf knock from Sunday's defeat to Manchester City, was granted a rare breather, while Alexis Mac Allister and Milos Kerkez were also rested ahead of the weekend trip to Brentford.

Amid a mounting injury list, Iraola is having to balance his squad carefully, but his faith in youth is paying dividends. Heading into Wednesday, Trey Nyoni, Koumas, and Ngumoha shared just one Champions League start between them, yet none looked out of their depth.

Should Dominik Szoboszlai fail to recover in time for the weekend, Nyoni looks primed for a full Premier League debut alongside Mac Allister. Koumas, meanwhile, appears set to lead the line once more if neither Alexander Isak nor Cody Gakpo are passed fit.

After seeing two earlier efforts chalked off for offside, Koumas' persistence was rewarded when he swept home his first Champions League goal to make it 6-1. At 21 years and 25 days, he became the youngest player in Liverpool history to both score and assist in a single match in the competition, surpassing Steven Gerrard's record (21 years, 139 days) set against Dynamo Kyiv in 2001.

The night was filled with milestones. Ronald Araujo opened his Liverpool account with a towering header from a corner, while Frimpong registered the first headed goal of his senior career. Stand-in captain Kostas Tsimikas and Frimpong often operate under the radar, but both delivered an attacking masterclass from full-back, providing two assists apiece.

The nine-goal thriller was Liverpool's highest-scoring European fixture since the dramatic 5-4 extra-time triumph over Alaves in the 2001 UEFA Cup final.

A lapse in defensive concentration allowed LASK to claw back late consolations, but by then the points were long secured and a touch of complacency had naturally crept into Liverpool's play.

"There's a reason managers never change both centre-backs at the same time," Iraola smiled, reflecting on his decision to introduce Van Dijk and Joe Gomez for Araujo and Jeremy Jacquet shortly after the hour mark with Liverpool cruising at 4-0. "But I had to keep the next game in mind and felt it was the right time to rest Ronald and Jeremy."

Far more telling than the late defensive blip was the swagger Liverpool displayed in attack—fluid, electrifying, and ruthless. Barcola led the charge with his pace, intelligent movement, and sheer technical brilliance.

The shackles are officially off.

James Pearce, The Athletic