Liverpool Stages Another Second-Half Turnaround, Defeating LASK 3-1 in Europa League

Liverpool’s Europa League journey continued with a second consecutive match in which they overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit to secure a 3-1 victory, this time against LASK.

It had been 2,682 days since Liverpool’s last appearance in UEFA’s second-tier competition, having competed in three Champions League finals and winning one. Adjusting to this new reality took some time.

In contrast, LASK faced no such adaptation challenges in their biggest game to date, recalling their 2020 encounter with Manchester United, which ended in a 5-0 defeat but happened behind closed doors due to the pandemic. They started strong and predictably took an early lead through Florian Flecker’s outstanding goal.

However, as Jurgen Klopp’s side realized that the Europa League would be as demanding as their favored competitions, their characteristic resilience emerged. Within just eight minutes into the second half, Darwin Nunez converted a penalty, Luis Diaz scored from close range, and late substitute Mohamed Salah sealed Klopp’s 50th European victory, the most by any Anfield manager.

Klopp had emphasized before the match that this competition was not about “opportunities,” yet he fielded a significantly different lineup compared to the one that won against Wolves over the weekend. The team featured first-choice center-backs Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, as well as Diaz and Nunez up front.

In the midfield, however, were untested players: 21-year-old Ryan Gravenberch, making his first start, and 20-year-old Harvey Elliott, flanking 30-year-old “veteran” Wataru Endo, who had only played 89 minutes for Klopp’s team since his summer transfer.

The highlight was 17-year-old winger Ben Doak, becoming Liverpool’s fourth-youngest player to start in Europe at the age of 17 years and 314 days. Although he made an impressive run against the LASK defense, he had limited opportunities due to a struggling midfield and was replaced just past the hour mark.

A misjudgment by 18-year-old midfielder Stefan Bajcetic, tasked with playing the right-back role akin to Trent Alexander-Arnold, led to a LASK corner and the opening goal. Flecker capitalized on this situation, drilling a shot through a crowd of players into the net.

Liverpool responded with Nunez heading over a promising Elliott cross and seeing his close-range header from Van Dijk’s corner saved by goalkeeper Tobias Lawal.

The passionate home crowd cheered every block, tackle, and corner defended against, savoring every moment of Liverpool’s struggles.

Liverpool found their equalizer when Diaz was fouled by Philipp Ziereis, and Nunez converted the penalty in the 56th minute. Klopp then made strategic substitutions, introducing summer signings Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, along with Joe Gomez.

Their efforts paid off as Gravenberch’s low cross from the right was turned in by Diaz, giving Liverpool the lead.

To make matters worse for the hosts, Mohamed Salah was introduced in the 76th minute and immediately made an impact, creating opportunities and finally scoring a goal two minutes from time by threading the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs.