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Liverpool delivered a much improved performance in the second half to take all three points in AustriaLiverpool came from behind to beat LASK Linz as they made a winning start to their Europa League campaign.
LASK midfielder Florian Flecker struck a brilliant opener from the edge of the area on 19 minutes for the Austrians.
Darwin Nunez equalised from the penalty spot after Luis Diaz was fouled, before Diaz himself scored the winner from debutant Ryan Gravenberch's cross.
Second half substitute Mohamed Salah added a third goal late on for Jurgen Klopp's side to seal victory.
Klopp made 11 changes to the Liverpool team which started against Wolves in their previous fixture.
The impact of those changes was clearly felt as the Reds endured stumbling first-half display in their first Europa League match since the 2016 final defeat to Sevilla, before an improved performance after the break helped them turn the match around.
Flecker thunderbolt shocks Liverpool
Florian Flecker celebrated his stunning opener against Liverpool with an equally spectacular somersaultDespite the wholesale changes this was a strong Liverpool XI, featuring Virgil Van Dijk as captain and summer signing Gravenberch, who made his full debut following his £34.3 million move from Bayern Munich.
Liverpool's bench was also packed with first-team talent, including Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Salah, in case of emergencies.
Klopp indeed had to break the glass and bring on those three stars after an unimpressive early showing in which Liverpool were stunned by Flecker's opener.
Sascha Horvath's corner found Flecker unmarked on the edge of the box, before Austrian took a touch and smashed the ball into the far corner.
Having fallen behind for the fourth time in five games this season, Liverpool responded and should have equalised before half time when Nunez headed towards goal from just three yards out, only to see LASK keeper Tobias Lawal claw the ball away on the goal line.
They were otherwise held at arm's length by LASK in the opening 45, with Ibrahima Konate's booking for arguing with the referee shortly before the interval testament to the Reds' struggles.
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LASK
Squad number1Player nameLawal
Squad number5Player nameZiereis
Squad number16Player nameAndrade
Squad number33Player nameLuckeneder
Squad number29Player nameFlecker
Squad number18Player nameJovicic
Squad number30Player nameHorvath
Squad number7Player nameRenner
Squad number9Player nameLjubicic
Squad number10Player nameZulj
Squad number24Player nameHavel
Squad number2Player nameBello
Squad number11Player nameKoné
Squad number23Player nameMustapha
Squad number25Player nameBa
Squad number55Player nameDarboe
Liverpool
Squad number62Player nameKelleher- Squad number43Player nameBajcetic
Squad number4Player namevan Dijk- Squad number5Player nameKonaté
- Squad number21Player nameTsimikas
- Squad number19Player nameElliott
- Squad number38Player nameGravenberch
- Squad number3Player nameEndo
- Squad number50Player nameDoak
- Squad number9Player nameNúñez
- Squad number7Player nameDíaz
Squad number2Player nameGomez- Squad number8Player nameSzoboszlai
- Squad number10Player nameMac Allister
Squad number11Player nameMohamed Salah
Squad number32Player nameMatip
Line-ups
LASK
Formation 3-4-3
- 1Lawal
- 5ZiereisBooked at 55mins
- 16Andrade
- 33LuckenederSubstituted forDarboeat 80'minutes
- 29FleckerSubstituted forBaat 89'minutes
- 18Jovicic
- 30Horvath
- 7RennerSubstituted forBelloat 88'minutes
- 9LjubicicSubstituted forKonéat 69'minutes
- 10ZuljBooked at 44mins
- 24HavelBooked at 41minsSubstituted forMustaphaat 68'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Bello
- 4Talovierov
- 11Koné
- 14Balic
- 17Usor
- 21Ljubic
- 22Stojkovic
- 23Mustapha
- 25Ba
- 27Goiginger
- 28Siebenhandl
- 55Darboe
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 62Kelleher
- 43BajceticBooked at 43minsSubstituted forGomezat 61'minutes
- 4van Dijk
- 5KonatéBooked at 40minsSubstituted forMatipat 82'minutes
- 21Tsimikas
- 19Elliott
- 38GravenberchSubstituted forSalahat 74'minutes
- 3EndoSubstituted forMac Allisterat 61'minutes
- 50DoakSubstituted forSzoboszlaiat 61'minutes
- 9Núñez
- 7Díaz
Substitutes
- 1Alisson
- 2Gomez
- 8Szoboszlai
- 10Mac Allister
- 11Salah
- 17Jones
- 18Gakpo
- 20Jota
- 26Robertson
- 32Matip
- 56Jaros
- 78Quansah
Live Text
Match ends, LASK 1, Liverpool 3.
Second Half ends, LASK 1, Liverpool 3.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Philipp Ziereis.
Foul by Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool).
Sascha Horvath (LASK) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Philipp Ziereis.
Substitution, LASK. Sanoussy Ba replaces Florian Flecker.
Substitution, LASK. George Bello replaces René Renner.
Goal! LASK 1, Liverpool 3. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Darwin Núñez.
Kostas Tsimikas (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Philipp Ziereis (LASK).
Attempt saved. Harvey Elliott (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Dominik Szoboszlai.
Offside, LASK. Andrés Andrade tries a through ball, but Ibrahim Mustapha is caught offside.
Attempt missed. Harvey Elliott (Liverpool) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right.
Substitution, Liverpool. Joël Matip replaces Ibrahima Konaté.
Substitution, LASK. Ebrima Darboe replaces Felix Luckeneder.
Offside, LASK. Sascha Horvath tries a through ball, but Ibrahim Mustapha is caught offside.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Felix Luckeneder (LASK).
Foul by Luis Díaz (Liverpool).
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