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Liverpool secured their first victory in the Europa League group stages with a 3-1 win against Austrian side LASK at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz on September 21.
Jurgen Klopp's team faced strong resistance in the first half, with LASK opening the scoring through a spectacular strike by winger Florian Flecker in the 14th minute. Flecker, benefiting from Sacha Horvath's precise corner delivery, unleashed a thunderous shot from outside the penalty box that found the back of the net.
Liverpool had a chance to level the score when Darwin Nunez narrowly missed the target with a header from Harvey Elliott's exquisite delivery. Nunez had another opportunity, but LASK's goalkeeper, Tobias Lawal, made a spectacular close-range save to deny Liverpool's #9 his first goal of the night in the first half.
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However, the English outfit managed to level the score when Darwin Nunez converted from the spot in the 56th minute. After one South American scored, another followed suit to put the visitors in control. Luis Diaz, who received a cross from the new signing Ryan Gravenberch, found the back of the net with a thunderous strike just seven minutes after LASK's opening goal.
Liverpool's third goal came shortly after Mohamed Salah, who came off the bench, scored from an improbable angle to double the lead. While Liverpool may not have had a strong start, their second-half performance delighted the fans.
In this article, we will examine how the Reds performed in their first away game of the 2023-24 Europa League.
Liverpool player ratings
Caoimhin Kelleher - 7/10: Other than the goal, Kelleher had little to do. He displayed precision in his passing, which aided Liverpool in their ability to play out from the back.
Stefan Bajcetic - 6/10: Operating in an unusual position, Stefan Bajcetic struggled to assert control over the game from the inverted role. The youngster was immediately placed in the starting eleven after recovering from an injury last season. Jurgen Klopp must explore the transfer market for a right-back, as they are in dire need of a backup for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Ibrahima Konate - 7/10: Ibrahima Konate was solid, preventing LASK forwards from exploiting the empty space on the right defensive flank. His aerial control was top-notch as well.
Virgil Van Dijk - 8/10: Virgil Van Dijk was the calmest man on the pitch when Liverpool fell behind early in the game. The Dutch defender was occasionally left alone when Tsimikas ventured forward, but he handled those situations well, putting an end to potential dangers. The captain truly stepped up to the plate.
Kostas Tsimikas - 6/10: Kostas Tsimikas had a difficult time for most of the game. On certain occasions, he was unlucky with slips, but his decision-making was poor as he held onto the ball for too long, which did not help his cause.
Endo - 5/10: Still getting used to his surroundings, Endo struggled to retain possession for Liverpool in the heart of the midfield. While he's willing to commit himself to defending, he needs to choose his passes more carefully in the next game.
Ryan Gravenberch - 7.5/10: Ryan Gravenberch, making his first start for Liverpool, was sublime in midfield. The 21-year-old compensated for his opening-half performance in the later stages of the game by setting up Luis Diaz for the second goal. His ability to beat players was excellent.
Harvey Elliott - 7/10: The youngster should have registered an assist to his name after delivering a sumptuous ball to Darwin Nunez in the first half. In addition, he was precise with his passing and effectively circulated the ball in the midfield.
Ben Doak - 6.5/10: Doak's sprints down the right wing were dangerous, but they lacked an end product. The 17-year-old put on a decent display in the wide areas of the pitch.
Luis Diaz - 7.5/10: Luis Diaz found the back of the net for the third time this campaign with a lovely finish, putting Liverpool ahead 2-1 in the game. The Colombian winger was relatively quiet during the first half but became more adventurous with his dribbles in the second half of the game.
Darwin Nunez - 8/10: 'The agent of chaos' was rewarded with a goal for yet another lively display. Nunez, who missed two chances in the first half, scored from the spot to level the game in the second half. His involvement in the second goal also played a significant role as he won the ball back in midfield.
Substitutes:
Joe Gomez - 7/10: Joe Gomez did not allow the attackers to get behind him and maintained good positions when necessary.
Dominik Szoboszlai - 8/10: The Hungarian, on the back of winning Liverpool's player of the month for August, produced yet another exciting cameo by linking up the midfield and attack.
Alexis Mac Allister - 7/10: Alexis Mac Allister sat in the heart of the midfield to control the game after replacing Endo.
Mohamed Salah - 8/10: Despite coming on with ten minutes left on the clock, Mohamed Salah found a way to score in the 86th minute. He was electric from the moment he replaced Ryan Gravenberch.
Joel Matip - N/A: He was barely on the pitch for a few minutes.
