LASK 1-3 Liverpool: 5 Talking Points as Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool comeback to beat the Austrian outfit | Europa League 2023-24
Liverpool came back from behind for the fourth time this season to beat LASK 3-1 in the UEFA Europa League at Raiddeisen Arena in Linz on Thursday, September 21. Second-half goals from Darwin Nunez (56'), Luis Diaz (63'), and Mohamed Salah (88') overcame the opener from Florian Flecker (14') in the first half.
Liverpool were punished for their lethargy in the 14th minute when Florian Flecker rifled the ball into the back of the net with a thunderous strike. The Austrian footballer, who was not closed down quickly, took a touch to score after receiving the corner from Sacha Horvath.
Although the Reds were not at the top of their game, the English heavyweights created two chances before halftime. Both of them fell to the in-form Darwin Nunez. The 24-year-old's first strike narrowly missed the target, while his second shot was spectacularly saved by Tobias Lawal, preserving the scoreline.
A turnaround in the second half from Liverpool
The Reds was awarded a penalty when Philipp Ziereis was adjudged to have fouled Luis Diaz in the follow-through. Darwin Nunez stepped up from the six-yard spot to pull things back level in the 56th minute.
Seven minutes later, Luis Diaz scored his third goal of the season to culminate a lovely counterattack. Ryan Gravenberch, on his first start for the Merseysiders, picked out the Colombian International with a fine cross to set his teammate up.
Mohamed Salah came off the bench to devastating effect. He added a third goal by slotting the ball between the legs of the goalkeeper Tobias Lawal in the 88th minute. The Egyptian winger's goal rounded off a comfortable victory for Jurgen Klopp's high-flying side.
We shall look at five talking points following Liverpool's debut victory in the Europa League 2023-24 campaign.
#5 Liverpool have made a habit of conceding the opening goal
The Reds have conceded the opening goal in four out of six games across competitions this campaign. This will be a concern for Jurgen Klopp, whose backline was renowned for its ability to keep clean sheets.
There's no doubt about the mentality of the six-time Champions League winners. But the German manager will want his side to stop conceding avoidable goals in the first half. In contrast to the first half, his side have been at the top of their game during the second half.
#4 Reds' new midfield lacked energy and coherence
Liverpool's midfield, consisting of Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch, and Harvey Elliott, lacked coherence since the trio was playing together for the first time. In contrast to other Klopp sides, this midfield not only lacked energy but also had insufficient guile to break through LASK's midfield.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister were eventually assimilated into the eleven in the second half. Post that, the Premier League outfit gained more authority in the game before adding a third goal to seal the victory.
#3 Liverpool need a right-back
The Premier League giants' lack of control in the midfield is undoubtedly noticeable in Trent Alexander-Arnold's absence. The right-back, who's being utilized as an inverted full-back, has already made a huge impact in the middle of the park.
Joe Gomez, who struggled in the inverted role against Wolverhampton Wanderers over the weekend, blossomed when playing on the right defensive flank. Jurgen Klopp's choice to opt for Stefan Bajcetic did not yield the desired results as the youngster did not perform up to expectations.
#2 Mohamed Salah is in good form
Many Saudi clubs are currently being linked to the most popular Arab footballer in the world.
However, the idea of selling Mohamed Salah should arguably not be in Liverpool's plans unless the Egyptian genuinely wants to leave for a new adventure. Instead, the English club should be eager to extend his contract since there are no signs of the forward slowing down anytime soon.
The 31-year-old has scored three goals and provided five assists in six games this campaign. Furthermore, the forward scored 30 goals and assisted his teammates on 16 occasions in 51 games across competitions last season.
#1 Liverpool keep grinding out results
Liverpool has been a completely different side in the first half and second half of games this campaign. The Reds trailed three times at halftime but managed to come back and produce strong second-half displays against LASK, Newcastle United, and Wolves.
This has been a recurring theme this season, but they are consistently grinding out results every week. It is quite reminiscent of the side that won the 2019-20 Premier League title.
While beating Manchester City would be a significant challenge, Liverpool have enough firepower to once again push Pep Guardiola's men and compete for the holy grail.