LASK vs Liverpool LIVE: Europa League result, final score and reaction after comeback win for Reds
Jurgen Klopp’s team start their European adventure in Austria in the Europa League group stage
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Liverpool took time adjusting to life back in the Europa League but for the fourth time in six matches this season they came from behind to win 3-1 against LASK in Linz.
It had been 2,682 days since they last appeared in UEFA’s second-tier competition, having played in three Champions League finals and won one, and that adaptation to a new reality took a while to bed in.
The Austrians had no such problem in the biggest game in their history as the visit of Manchester United in 2020, when they were hammed 5-0, happened behind closed doors because of the pandemic.
They were so fired up they predictably took an early lead through Florian Flecker’s brilliantly-taken goal but once Jurgen Klopp’s side came to the realisation the Europa League will be just as tough a task as the competition favourites this season’s familiar trait emerged.
Within the space of eight second-half minutes Darwin Nunez fired home a penalty and Luis Diaz converted from close range and late on substitute Mohamed Salah clinched Klopp’s 50th European victory, the most of any Anfield manager. Follow all the reaction from LASK vs Liverpool below and get all the latest football odds here.
LASK vs Liverpool - LIVE
Ryan Gravenberch is one to watch tonight for the visitors.
The 21 year-old joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich in the summer for £34m as part of Liverpool’s midfield rebuild.
Manager Jurgen Klopp believes the youngster has ‘massive potential’, and the midfielder will be looking to impress tonight in his second game for The Reds.
Who is Ryan Gravenberch? The Liverpool midfielder with ‘massive potential’
Gravenberch joined Liverpool at the end of the summer transfer window, but the club had been tracking him for longer
LASK vs Liverpool - LIVE
Jurgen Klopp assured fans this week it would be a strong lineup for Liverpool - and that is certainly the case even though 11 changes have been made.
In some cases, with Konate and Van Dijk back for example, they are arguably stronger than at the weekend.
“First and foremost, I think we all have to make sure that we all respect the competition in the right manner, that we respect the opponents in the right manner,” he told TNT Sports.
“I would love to go to the final, obviously, but I have no clue if we can reach that because there will be a lot of fantastic football teams in between us and that target, so we have to make sure we perform.
“We have real talent there, but it is not experimental,” he added. “I think if we don’t get hit by an injury crisis then we should have enough players to field Thursday and Sunday a top team, and that’s pretty much the idea.”
Liverpool’s Andy Robertson says the team ‘feel free’
Andrew Robertson believes Liverpool have been let off the leash.
The stand-in skipper hailed the Reds’ fresh start following their 3-1 win at Wolves on Saturday.
Robertson scored his first goal since May 2022 – also against Wolves – with five minutes left before Harvey Elliott’s shot deflected in off Hugo Bueno in stoppage time.
It capped a comeback started by Cody Gakpo’s second-half equaliser and extended Liverpool’s unbeaten run in the Premier League, stretching back to last season, to 16 games.
Why Europa League offers unmissable opportunity to Premier League sides
Barely more than a year ago - a mere 481 days back - Liverpool were lining up for a Champions League final, their third in five seasons. They were defeated by Real Madrid, but Jurgen Klopp’s side were comfortably among Europe’s top clubs and, until the final weeks of that season, were still on course to win a quadruple.
Fast forward those 481 days and the Reds instead are lining up at the Raiffeisen Arena, a brand new stadium in Linz, Austria, where in opponents LASK’s most recent home fixture, a total of 10,000 fans were in attendance. It does hold more - a capacity crowd of 19,000 turned up for the derby a month prior - but that’s still a far cry from the 75,000 at the Stade de France in May 2022, or the regular 50,000 in attendance at a mid-expansion Anfield.
Crowd figures are a million miles away from the full story, but they do underline how fast Liverpool fell last term - and how much of a big fish they are in the pond of the Europa League this season.
Pointlessly early though it is for tables, Klopp’s team were briefly top of the Premier League last weekend. They are unbeaten through five games, despite uneven early performances, and appear to be striking a balance now with an altered attack and a totally new-look midfield.
They are, by a distance, the favourites to win the Europa League.
More on the Europa League and Europa Conference League:
Why Europa League offers unmissable opportunity to Premier League sides
Liverpool will be favourites for the Europa League, while Aston Villa will be contending for the Europa Conference League too
LASK vs Liverpool - confirmed lineup
The Reds have gone early and named their starting XI to face LASK, with Jurgen Klopp making a full 11 changes to the team - including a first start for Ryan Gravenberch and youngster Ben Doak in the side.
LIV XI: Kelleher, Bajcetic, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas, Endo, Gravenberch, Elliott, Doak, Nunez, Diaz.
The likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Joe Gomez, Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo are all among the subs.
LASK vs Liverpool - LIVE
Good afternoon and welcome to Thursday nights in Europe with the Independent - tonight our focus is on the start of the Europa League group stage, with Liverpool heading to Austria to face LASK Linz.
Jurgen Klopp’s team were playing in a Champions League final fewer than 500 nights ago; it’s all rather different this time out after a dismal campaign for far too much of last year.
Perhaps this competition offers the chance of silverware all the same and the long journey to the final for the Reds, as well as for Brighton and West Ham, starts here this evening - and the same is true for Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments