Díaz lights the way in Linz
LASK 1 Liverpool 3, 21st September 2023.
LASK 1 Liverpool 3, 21st September 2023.
LASK 1 (Flecker 14)
LIVERPOOL 3 (Núñez 56, Díaz 63, Salah 88)
Another come from behind win in a season already full to the brim with second half comebacks, but this was by far the most comfortable reversal of first half fortunes against an Austrian team who although holding a 1–0 half-time lead were wide open to quick transitional attacks and thankful that for 45 minutes, the all reds in their alternative all purple, couldn’t find that “killer” final ball in the attacking third of the pitch.
The first half could be easily and lazily summed up as a tale of two training ground routine corners. One was brilliantly controlled in stride on the edge of the Reds penalty area and sat up perfectly for the rasping volley that arrowed past Caoimhin Kelleher in the Reds goal from the thunder boots of Florian Flecker on 14 minutes, giving the home side a shock 1–0 lead. The second, a Kostas Tsimikas corner that saw captain Virgil van Dijk peeling away to the far post before powering a header back across goal for an almost certain equaliser from Darwin Núñez that saw the Uruguyan striker denied by a brilliant, clawing save on the goal line by the LASK goalkeeper Tobias Lawal. With 10 minutes of the first half remaining at this point, the Reds were totally in control of a game they were losing, but their Austrian opponents posed zero attacking threat and left vast spaces to play in midfield and in the transitional lines into attack.
All that was lacking from a Liverpool perspective was a final incisive ball or a piece of footballing quality in the LASK half of the field.
In truth, the second half was all rather the stroll we hoped it would be during the half-time break or maybe that’s just me! But as soon as the Colombian magician Luis Díaz was recklessly fouled for the game’s equalising penalty that gifted Darwin Núñez a goal his battling and nagging performance deserved, a much changed and colourfully different Reds took complete control to glide effortlessly to 3 early Europa League points. Núñez was involved in all 3 goals as his physicality won the ball on the halfway line before Liverpool swept from one end of the field to the other via a brilliant through ball from Harvey Elliott that opened up LASK for the marauding run of Ryan Gravenberch and his inch perfect cross for a blistering first time finish from my “Man of the Match” Luis Díaz, before the Uruguayan set up Mo Salah for his cheeky “nutmeg” of a goal through the legs of LASK goalkeeper Tobias Lawal with 2 minutes remaining.
A much changed Liverpool saw many more, albeit expected, impressive performances aside from Messrs Díaz and Núñez with Stefan Bajčetić untroubled if a little unrecognisable at defensive right wing back, goalkeeper Kelleher largely untroubled too in goal and returnees from injury and suspension Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk solid defensively. Ben Doak started very brightly with runs behind a leaky Austrian defence but faded as the game wore on however I was particularly impressed with the pacey runs from midfield of Ryan Gravenberch until a muscle injury appeared to spoil his night on 70 minutes. One hopes his substitution was merely a precaution and not a sign of a spell on the injury sidelines for the 21 year old from Amsterdam.
3 easy Europa League points gratefully received!
In form West Ham United visit Anfield on Sunday for what I can only see as a high scoring, humdinger of a game.
Time will tell.
It always does.
A final word from The Boss
“We showed two football situations from the first half where we did pretty well. I’m pretty sure the boys would have thought there was nothing good from the first half, but that’s not true; we had good moments and that’s what we showed and besides that we could start getting back into the game again and we had a good chance to turn it around. And that’s what we did. And I’m really happy because I knew it would be difficult, it was difficult.
We won it, well deserved, that’s it”.
Thanks for reading. Please see my “Liverpool FC” library tab for a plethora of articles on the Mighty Reds or alternatively, here are my three latest match reports from this current season:
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