Following the 3-0 loss to Manchester City, Liverpool needed to refresh themselves against LASK in the Champions League. A 6-3 win which included a Barcola hat-trick more than did the job as the Reds regained confidence and got back to their best.
“I’m really happy for Bradley,” said Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola. “Yesterday you were asking me a lot about his numbers, and also Flo (Wirtz), and both of them played really well. They made a difference. Apart from the hat-trick Bradley was a threat one-v-one, helped us control the game and defended the pockets. It will do their confidence good for sure.”
Barcola kick-started his Liverpool career, having not scored or assisted in six appearances since his £123M move from Paris Saint-Germain but has quickly shown his worth as he was handed the UEFA Player of the Week Award this week following his incredible hat-trick.
“It’s been really hard for him,” Koumas said. “Not in terms of on the pitch, because in the changing room we all know how good he is.
“But moving country and trying to settle in fast is tough. I found it tough on loan, so changing country completely must be something else.
“I’m just really happy he showed how good he is tonight and hopefully he just carries on doing it now.”
The Frenchman will now hope to show that sort of performance in the Premier League, starting with a visit to Brentford on Saturday afternoon as Liverpool hope to climb up from 9th in the Premier League table.