Liverpool took time adjusting to life back in the Europa League but for the fourth time in six matches this season they came from behind to win 3-1 against LASK in Linz.
It had been 2,682 days since they last appeared in UEFA’s second-tier competition, having played in three Champions League finals and won one, and that adaptation to a new reality took a while to bed in.
The Austrians had no such problem in the biggest game in their history as the visit of Manchester United in 2020, when they were hammed 5-0, happened behind closed doors because of the pandemic.
They were so fired up they predictably took an early lead through Florian Flecker’s brilliantly-taken goal but once Jurgen Klopp’s side came to the realisation the Europa League will be just as tough a task as the competition favourites this season’s familiar trait emerged.
Within the space of eight second-half minutes Darwin Nunez fired home a penalty and Luis Diaz converted from close range and late on substitute Mohamed Salah clinched Klopp’s 50th European victory, the most of any Anfield manager. Follow all the reaction from LASK vs Liverpool below and get all the latest football odds here.
Europa League 2023/24 full preview
LIV XI: Kelleher, Bajcetic, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas, Endo, Gravenberch, Elliott, Doak, Nunez, Diaz
LASK XI: Lawal, Ziereis, Renner, Ljubicic, Zulj, Andrade, Jovicic, Havel, Flecker, Horvath, Luckeneder
GOAL! 13’ - Flecker smacks in unstoppable half-volley to give LASK the lead (1-0)
GOAL! 55’ - Darwin Nunez scores penalty after Diaz is fouled in the box (1-1)
GOAL! 63’ - Diaz hammers in after a flowing move down the right (1-2)
GOAL! 87’ - Salah squeezes a late third in through the keeper’s legs (1-3)
Linzer Athletik Sport Klub 1 - 3 Liverpool FC
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