Liverpool

Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola, speaking after Wednesday's victory against LASK: I'm very happy with the performance. Today I think we were very aggressive with the ball, sometimes you talk about aggressiveness without the ball but I'm talking about with the ball. I think we took good positions, we moved the ball well, attacked the spaces well. We conceded those goals, but overall I think the performance was very good."

On the defensive struggles in the second half: "Probably the reason why the manager shouldn't change both centre backs, but we were already winning 4-0 and you have to think about the next game and saving the legs of the players. We didn't defend properly at the end of the game."

On Bradley Barcola: "I think he played so well today and not just the goals. He had more chances to score, he was always a threat attacking the spaces in behind. In training sometimes you feel when a player is in the zone, and fortunately tonight for us he has shown the level that he has."

On Florian Wirtz's impact: "I think he was amazing in possession. I think he had lively passes, good assists, he helped us to control the game. Especially in the first half where he was roaming around and finding good spots. It was a good game from Florian.

On Lewis Koumas: "He has to enjoy it because he deserves it. I think he scored two disallowed goals which is unlucky for him but he kept pressing, making the runs in behind and doing his job. I think it's fair that he score his goal and can have his moment of celebration with the supporters."

Did you know?

• Liverpool had 19 shots by half time of tonight's game against LASK – the most on record (since 2003-04) by any team in the first half of a UEFA Champions League away match. Furthermore, their 26 shots overall were the Reds' joint-most in an away game in the competition on record.

• On what was the 238th appearance of his senior career (for club and country combined), Liverpool's Bradley Barcola scored his first ever hat-trick.

• Lewis Koumas became the youngster player to score and assist in a UEFA Champions League match for Liverpool (21y 25d), with the previous youngest being Steven Gerrard (21y 139d v Dynamo Kyiv in 2001).

Image source, Getty Images

Alisson: Didn't have a save to make in the first half but couldn't hold on to his clean sheet after the break, conceding three. 7

Jeremie Frimpong: Started at right-back and was brilliant. Scored a solid header to get Liverpool's fourth of the night and provided two assists. 8

Ronald Araujo: Moved to centre-back with Van Dijk rested and the Uruguayan scored his first Liverpool goal with a towering header to break the deadlock. 7

Jeremy Jacquet: Another fine performance from the young Frenchman. Liverpool didn't concede when he was on the pitch. 7

Kostas Tsimikas: Started the game as captain and got two assists in an impressive display that will do wonders for his confidence. 8

Trey Nyoni: Came into the starting 11 and was neat in possession and constantly looking forward with the ball. 7

Ryan Gravenberch: Unsurprisingly played the full game as he's suspended for Saturday and played a key part in allowing Liverpool to control the game. 7

Rio Ngumoha: Did really well down the right for Liverpool's second goal and was a handful for the LASK defence all evening. What a talent. 8

Florian Wirtz: Much better from the German. Nearly scored a lovely goal and got the assist for Barcola's second as the pair linked up brilliantly. Too good for LASK. 8

Bradley Barcola: A fine attacking performance and a memorable hat-trick to open his Liverpool account. The Frenchman was a joy to watch and could have easily scored more. 9

Lewis Koumas: Made his second start in a row and did exactly what was asked of him. Got an assist and a goal and that was no less than he deserved. 8

Subs:

Virgil van Dijk (on 62, Jacquet): 5

Joe Gomez (on 62, Araujo): 5

Victor Munoz (on 73, Barcola): 5

Alexis Mac Allister (on 85, Nyoni)

Luke Chambers (on 85, Ngumoha)

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Get in touch with your views here

Come back to this page on Thursday to find a selection of your replies

There are nine games in the Champions League on Wednesday as the 36-team league phase continues and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Feyenoord v Como (17:45)

• LASK v Liverpool (17:45)

• Aston Villa v Fenerbahce

• Bodo/Glimt v Borussia Dortmund

• Manchester City v Paris St-Germain - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Real Betis v Porto

• Roma v Real Madrid

• Shakhtar Donetsk v AEK Athens

• Slovan Bratislava v Stuttgart

Kick-off times 20:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Champions League commentary on your smart speaker. Just say "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play Man City v PSG" or "Alexa, ask BBC Sounds to play the Manchester City match".

Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.

There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One from 22:40 to 00:00.

How to follow the Champions League on the BBC

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Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Mitch from Canada asked: Pat – with your eye for a player – do you think Florian Wirtz will come good at Liverpool? And if they hadn't spent so much on him, would he still be in the 11?

Pat: All the stats suggested Wirtz was likely to be a success when he left the Bundesliga to join Liverpool. It isn't just the data experts who thought he was likely to be a revelation, most ex-players could see the technical ability and were suitably impressed. I include myself in that group.

In answer to your question, if Liverpool had everyone fit, he wouldn't be close to starting for the first team at the moment, he just hasn't had a profound impact often enough. It doesn't help that he is, in some people's eyes, trying to replace Mo Salah which, although an impossible job, he hasn't even come even vaguely close to achieving.

So, what has gone wrong, because it certainly hasn't all gone right. Sometimes it takes a while to fit into a new team style, tactical system, the pace of a new league, new surroundings, and different team-mates who have different skills and who do not initially understand your skill set perfectly.

The problem is that showing such mercy can only last a season at most. After that, it very quickly becomes time to worry if it is ever going to work to the level it was expected and sounds more like excuses than reasons.

Liverpool haven't been at their best for some time and that hasn't helped either, especially with the injuries to the other forwards and the lack of investment at the back. There hasn't been a set specialist right full-back for him to work with since he arrived, which doesn't help when he is on that side of the field.

Even so, Florian has to show he is part of the remedy and not part of the cause of Liverpool's ills.

Big transfer fee or not, if you do not deliver in goals and assists as a forward at Liverpool, your days will be numbered.

Pat Nevin writes weekly in the Football Extra newsletter. If you're outside the UK and would like to receive it, sign up here.

Matt Jones
BBC Sport journalist

LASK's first home match in the Champions League is a high-profile one, as they welcome Liverpool to Raiffeisen Arena.

The Austrian side won a domestic double last season for only the second time in their history. They then qualified for the Champions League in dramatic fashion too, overcoming a 3-0 first-leg loss to Celtic in the play-offs to win 5-1 at home after extra time and 5-4 on aggregate.

The Reds will be looking to bounce back after defeat by Manchester City at home on Sunday, their first loss under new head coach Andoni Iraola.

Did you know?

• LASK and Liverpool have faced each other on two previous occasions, with the Reds winning home (4-0) and away (3-1) in the group stage of the 2023-24 Europa League.

• No Austrian team has beaten an English team in European competition since Austria Vienna's 1-0 win over Arsenal in the 1991 European Cup. There have been 34 matches since, with English teams winning 27 of the games.

Image source, Getty Images

Key LASK player - Christoph Lang

Lang has had a red-hot start to the season, scoring 11 goals in 14 appearances.

The forward was called up to the Austria senior squad for the first time during the most recent international break and scored on his second appearance, in a 1-1 draw against Kosovo.

He once joked he was "unbeatable" at backgammon and has a tattoo that reads "speech is silver, silence is golden".

LASK squad summary

Boss Dietmar Kuhbauer confirmed left-back George Bello is out, with forward Moses Usor a doubt.

Liverpool will again be without midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai and forwards Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak, who all missed the loss to City because of injury.

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

Liverpool's U19s pulled off a brilliant second-half comeback to beat LASK U19s 4-2 in their Uefa Youth League encounter in Austria.

Will Wright scored twice in three minutes to level the game in the second half after Rob Page's side had gone two goals behind.

Wright, 18, turned provider in the 84th minute as he teed up 15-year-old Luca Eden to complete the turnaround before scoring a late penalty to complete his hat-trick.

The Austrian side took the lead in the 23rd minute when Liverpool failed to clear their lines and Paul Krapf headed in from close range.

And LASK doubled their lead shortly after the break through Jonas Ilk, who headed in from a corner.

Liverpool should have gone 3-0 down when Luca Ortner hit the woodwork when he was through on goal but less than a minute later, Eden played in Wright, who pulled one back for the visitors.

Three minutes later, Wright headed in from Finn Inglethorpe's cross to silence the home crowd at the Waldstadion Stadium in Pasching.

There was late joy for Liverpool when Wright played the ball across goal to Eden, who slotted in from inside the box, before Wright sent the keeper the wrong way from 12 yards out after AJ Yeguo was fouled inside the box.

Eden became the second-youngest English goalscorer in this competition after Arsenal's Max Dowman,

Liverpool have four points from their first two games in the Uefa Youth League, having drawn 2-2 against Atletico Madrid in September.

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

Image source, Getty Images

At the time, Florian Witz's arrival felt like a quality acquisition for Liverpool, but more than a year on things are still not clicking.

The German has scored seven goals and provided 11 assists over 56 Reds appearances, but had no goal involvements against any of the top-10 teams in the Premier League last season.

This term, Wirtz has started every game in the league and Champions League so far - managing just one assist across seven matches.

Those struggles were summed up on Sunday against Manchester City when new Reds boss Andoni Iraola - who succeeded Slot in the summer - replaced Wirtz with Trey Nyoni in the 66th minute, shortly after Ryan Gravenberch was sent off and Erling Haaland broke the deadlock.

After Liverpool's defeat by City, Jamie Carragher said it was time for Iraola to drop Wirtz.

"I think he needs to come out of the team, I said that last time out and I'm going to say it again," Carragher told Sky Sports.

"He's not giving you anything defensively and he's not giving you anything going the other way. I don't want anyone to pile in on the lad but I think we're justified in saying we need more and we can't wait."

Given that Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai are all currently sidelined, it would be a big call to drop Wirtz - but Liverpool have two games every week between now and the November international break.

With Gravenberch suspended for Saturday's trip to Brentford, Iraola will likely keep the Dutch midfielder in for Wednesday's Champions League game against LASK in Austria and could give a start to Nyoni. More changes are expected from Sunday's defeat.

When it comes to the intensity of the top flight, Wirtz is still finding his feet, but his best performance this season came in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid and he was unlucky not to get an assist when Bradley Barcola fired wide.

"I can just picture him beating himself up on how his Liverpool thing has started. This kid is a major talent in my opinion. I've seen enough to believe and give him a chance. I think he needs help and support now," former Reds captain Gerrard told The Overlap.

Wirtz created 95 chances from open play in all competitions last season - at least 27 more than any other Liverpool player.

Back in August, Wirtz spoke candidly about how he felt "more ready" for his second season at Anfield. The physicality was a key aspect, with bulking up a big focus of his first campaign.

He impressed in pre-season but two months into the new campaign, Wirtz needs to start delivering sooner rather than later.

If not, then Iraola will be left with a tough decision to make.

Read more on Wirtz's patchy form

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio Merseyside's Mike Hughes believes criticism of Florian Wirtz's form for Liverpool has reached "immense and intense proportions" after another underwhelming display in the 3-0 defeat by Manchester City.

The German attacking midfielder's performances have been under the microscope of fans and pundits since he arrived at Anfield due to the heavy £116m price tag Liverpool shelled out for him a year ago.

After a mixed first full season at the club, Wirtz has failed to kick on this season and has not become the talisman many fans thought would be featuring for the Reds after a much hyped few years in Germany's Bundesliga.

Speaking on The Red Kop podcast, Hughes said: "The scrutiny on Florian Wirtz has now reached immense and intense proportions only because he hasn't delivered prior to this.

"It's not something that's just happened. It's no anti-Wirtz campaign among Liverpool fans.

"The amount of games he's played and he's been here for a season and a bit for Liverpool, he hasn't scored enough goals and he hasn't created enough opportunities for other players. Not enough assists, not enough goals."

Co-host Paul Salt added: "It's also frustrating his use of the ball at times is really, really sloppy and quite often in areas of the pitch where you can't afford to be sloppy."

Listen to the full podcast here

Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

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Imagine a world where Manchester City had not used "sham contracts" to build a team capable of winning three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three EFL Cups.

If City were the winners, then there had to be losers - and not just those teams who finished runners-up or lost cup finals.

The potential impact runs much deeper and includes missed Champions League qualification, relegation and Premier League prize money.

The 2015-16 EFL Cup final proved to be decisive for Liverpool's hopes of European football.

Jurgen Klopp's men lost to City on penalties following a 1-1 draw. The Europa League place transferred to the league, and went to West Ham United.

Liverpool only finished eighth, which was not enough to qualify for Europe.

Had Liverpool won the final, they would have entered the Europa League, and this provides a key financial comparison.

Manchester United won the Europa League in 2016-17, receiving prize money of £37.8m. As part of that amount, the Red Devils' market pool payment, which is based upon the value of the television rights, was £26.6m.

While we cannot say for certain that Liverpool would have won the Europa League, they were a club of similar stature to Manchester United, which provides a comparison.

The market pool share may also have been slightly lower with both Liverpool and Manchester United involved.

Together with Premier League place money of £10.6m - Liverpool finished below City in all nine relevant seasons - the total financial impact on the Merseyside club was £52.3m.

Learn more about how the numbers were calculated here

Liverpool want to sign a right-back, with 26-year-old Juventus player Pierre Kalulu and 23-year-old Roma defender Wesley Franca among their targets. (Tuttomercatoweb - in Italian), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Aadam Patel
Liverpool reporter

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Andoni Iraola insists he trusts Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola "100%" as Liverpool prepare to face LASK in the Champions League.

Barcola cost £123m this summer while Wirtz cost £116m a year earlier, though many feel the duo have yet to deliver the kind of output to justify their price tags.

With Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai all absent with injuries, focus has intensified on the pair. The injured trio have scored nine out of Liverpool's 12 goals this season.

"It's true that Cody, Alex and Dom are our top scorers this season," Iraola said.

"They have also been the ones playing more in those positions and now we don't have them. We need other players to give us those numbers.

"We trust the players we have now to play in those positions. These things, with the injuries, have been because of the international break and it will happen to other teams.

"It is a matter of adapting to these circumstances. With Bradley and Flo, they have had good games and bad games this season like everyone else. We know their level and we know they will give us good performances."

And Iraola added that he wasn't too bothered about their respective transfer fees, despite Wirtz only managing one assist so far this season and Barcola failing to get a goal involvement yet.

"The possibilities are the same. The other day, if (Lewis) Koumas scores the goal that he connects with really well, then it is one assist for Bradley Barcola. His performance is exactly the same but we will all say, 'he played really well with an assist'.

"Sometimes we focus only on the numbers. With Bradley, the other day, he had good situations and we did not finish them. Bradley and Flo are players that I trust 100%."

This is Liverpool's second game in a spell where they have four fixtures in 10 days and as such, Iraola admitted he will make some changes against Austria's LASK.

He added: "Tomorrow is a game we want to win and need to win. We want to start this competition as strong as possible. We won the first game and want to win the second one. But it's true that because of some niggles it is going to be difficult to put out exactly the same starting eleven tomorrow."

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has been speaking to the media before Wednesday's Champions League game against LASK at Raiffeisen Arena (kick-off 17:45 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On team news, Iraola confirmed Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexander Isak, and Cody Gakpo have not travelled to Austria.

• He added that the trio are "not far" but he could not confirm when they would return.

• On other players needing to step up while those three are out, he said: "I think that is true, Cody, Alex and Dom are top scorers this season because they play more this season and now we don't have them, so we need the other players to give us those numbers."

• On criticism of big-money signings Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola, the Spanish boss said: "They've had good games and bad games this season but we know their level and we are sure they'll give us good performances."

• He also said the duo are players "I trust 100%".

• On making changes to his line-up, Iraola said this is a game "we want to win" and "it is always difficult to win in this competition".

• Although he added that "because there are some niggles" he may be forced into making changes to the side that lost to Manchester City at the weekend.

• And on keeping his side fresh, he said: "We don't have a lot of time to train. We have to prepare with some videos, tactics and the ball outside a little but we have to prioritise the freshness of the players."

• He added: "And especially playing four games in 10 days and we want to keep the legs in the game but I think in cases like Bradley, especially - the last one to arrive - the more he plays, the more connections with those around him and the better he'll become."