There are occasions when football does not need to be picked apart until there is nothing left to enjoy, and I think Liverpool’s 6-3 victory over LASK falls into that category.
Yes, conceding three goals will irritate Andoni Iraola. Yes, there were periods towards the end when a match Liverpool had completely under control became far too open. And yes, LASK are clearly a different level of opposition to the Manchester City side Liverpool faced a few days earlier.
But after the disappointment of Sunday, this was exactly the sort of night I wanted.
Liverpool scored six goals away from home in the Champions League. Bradley Barcola scored a hat trick. Florian Wirtz played with a freedom we have been waiting to see more regularly. Rio Ngumoha gave us another reminder of just how exciting his future could be, while Iraola managed to rest Virgil van Dijk from the start and give important minutes to several other members of his squad.
Most importantly, Liverpool looked as though they enjoyed attacking again.
That might sound simplistic, but I think it matters. There have been too many games this season where the attacking players have looked slightly separated from each other, almost waiting for something to happen rather than creating it together. Against LASK, there were combinations, movement and runners going beyond the ball.
For the first time in a little while, I watched Liverpool’s attack and could see clearly what Iraola is trying to build.
Liverpool Found the Space Their Attack Has Been Crying Out For
The statistics underline just how dominant Liverpool were for long periods.
They finished with 64% possession and attempted 26 shots compared with LASK’s 12. Liverpool put nine efforts on target, had 52 touches inside the opposition penalty area and generated 3.25 expected goals.
Those are serious attacking numbers.
Perhaps even more encouraging is that 2.50 of Liverpool’s 3.25 xG came from open play. This was not a night padded out by penalties or fortunate goals. Liverpool repeatedly found ways through LASK and created opportunities from their football.
