Liverpool bounced back from their Premier League defeat to Manchester City with a 6-3 victory over LASK in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, as Bradley Barcola scored his first goals for the club with a hat-trick.
Aston Villa also enjoyed a commanding night in Europe, thrashing Turkish side Fenerbahçe 6-0 at Villa Park to record their second consecutive victory in the competition.
According to Reuters and Sky Sports, Barcola scored three times in Liverpool’s nine-goal encounter in Austria, while Ronald Araújo, Jeremie Frimpong and Lewis Koumas also found the net for the English side.
The victory maintained Liverpool’s perfect start to their Champions League campaign after their opening 2-1 win over Atlético Madrid, while Villa followed their 3-2 away victory over Club Brugge with another three points.
Barcola ends goal drought
Liverpool made a fast start at the Raiffeisen Arena in Linz, Austria, taking control of the encounter with three first-half goals before adding three more after the break.
According to Reuters, Araújo opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, heading home from a Kostas Tsimikas corner to register his first goal for Liverpool.
Barcola doubled the lead two minutes later, finishing after a move involving teenage forward Lewis Koumas.
The Frenchman struck again in the 37th minute, converting Florian Wirtz’s pass to give Liverpool a 3-0 advantage at half-time.
Sky Sports reported that Liverpool registered 19 attempts in the first half, a record for an away team in the opening half of a Champions League match since records began in 2003-04.
Liverpool continued their attacking display after the restart, with Frimpong extending the lead in the 51st minute. The defender headed in Tsimikas’ cross to make it 4-0.
LASK responded in the 63rd minute through Robert Ljubičić, who swept the ball past the Liverpool goalkeeper to reduce the deficit.
Barcola completed his hat-trick three minutes later, finishing from close range after Frimpong delivered the ball across the penalty area.
The treble marked the forward’s first goals for Liverpool since his summer move from Paris Saint-Germain. He had gone six appearances without scoring or providing an assist before the match, according to Sky Sports.
Koumas added Liverpool’s sixth in the 72nd minute, finishing from another Frimpong delivery after two earlier efforts had been ruled out for offside.
LASK, however, capitalised on defensive lapses to make the scoreline more respectable. Florian Flecker scored in the 74th and 77th minutes, completing a brace in quick succession to leave Liverpool with three goals conceded despite their comfortable lead.
Reuters reported that Liverpool’s attacking performance offered a response to their 3-0 Premier League defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, although the three goals conceded in Austria provided a reminder of their defensive shortcomings.
The result gave Liverpool back-to-back victories in the Champions League, while LASK remained without a point after their opening defeat to AEK Athens.
Villa demolish Fenerbahçe 6-0
Aston Villa recorded an emphatic 6-0 victory over Fenerbahçe, with Nicolas Jackson and Ross Barkley scoring twice each at Villa Park.
Johan Manzambi opened the scoring in the 12th minute, giving Unai Emery’s side an early advantage in their first home Champions League fixture of the campaign.
Jackson extended Villa’s lead with two goals in the 31st and 39th minutes, leaving the hosts 3-0 ahead at half-time.
Villa continued to dominate after the interval, with Barkley scoring from the penalty spot in the 68th minute after Manzambi was fouled in the box.
The midfielder added his second four minutes later to make it 5-0 before substitute Tammy Abraham completed the scoring in the 90th minute.
The result followed Villa’s 3-2 away victory over Club Brugge in their opening league-phase fixture.
Villa had also beaten Fenerbahçe 1-0 in Istanbul during last season’s Europa League league phase, when Jadon Sancho scored the only goal.
Wednesday’s result gave the English club another victory over the Turkish side and extended their strong start to this season’s Champions League campaign.
The two English clubs therefore ended the night with victories, although Liverpool’s win came in a more open encounter in which LASK scored three second-half goals, while Villa kept a clean sheet in their six-goal triumph.