Bradley Barcola opens Liverpool account with hat trick against LASK

Bradley Barcola arrived at Liverpool for €145 million but had yet to score for his new club. His breakthrough came a month and a half after that record transfer, according to Franceinfo.

The Champions League trip to LASK Linz also offered Liverpool a chance to respond to defeat by Manchester City. Guardian Sport described the performance in Austria as an immediate recovery for Andoni Iraola's side.

Coverage published on October 14 reported that Barcola opened his Liverpool account against the Austrian champions. L'Équipe reported his first two goals, while the fuller match accounts credited him with three.

Barcola completed the first hat trick of his career in Wednesday's match, according to ESPN FC. It turned his first scoring appearance for Liverpool into a three-goal breakthrough.

Liverpool's scoring extended beyond Barcola. Ronald Araujo, Jeremie Frimpong and Lewis Koumas were also on target, Express & Star reported.

The match finished 6-3 to Liverpool in the Champions League league phase, according to Franceinfo. The visitors won comfortably, although LASK's three goals meant this was not a clean-sheet performance.

Barcola now has his first Liverpool goals and a career-first hat trick. For a player whose €145 million fee had preceded a wait to get off the mark, the match provided a decisive change in his early Liverpool record, as reported by The42 and ESPN FC.

Liverpool also leave Austria with a win after the Manchester City defeat. Guardian Sport framed the result as a strong response, with Barcola's finishing at the centre of it.