In Linz, where Liverpool’s European campaign moves into its second league-phase night, Andoni Iraola has backed Bradley Barcola and Florian Wirtz to emerge from a difficult opening spell. The visitors face LASK on Wednesday after beginning their Champions League programme with a 2-1 win over Atlético Madrid, but arrive with scrutiny on two high-profile attacking players and a reduced forward line.
Key takeaways
- Liverpool travel to Austria for Wednesday’s Champions League league-phase match against LASK Linz.
- Bradley Barcola has yet to register either a goal or an assist across his first six Liverpool appearances.
- Florian Wirtz is also without a goal contribution in seven matches this season after producing 7 goals and 10 assists in 49 games last term.
- Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai remain unavailable for the trip.
- Long-term absentee Hugo Ekitiké leaves Iraola short of centre-forward options.
Faith in Barcola and Wirtz
Barcola joined Liverpool at the end of the summer window from Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth about €145 million including add-ons. The France international’s slow statistical start has drawn criticism, particularly after Sunday’s 3-0 home defeat to Manchester City, his latest appearance for the club.
Iraola insisted that output should not be the sole measure of the 23-year-old’s contribution. He pointed to a recent chance for Lewis Koumas which, had it been taken, would have counted as a Barcola assist. The Liverpool coach said Barcola plays well and offers the side plenty, while warning against placing excessive weight on goals and assists alone.
Wirtz, signed in the summer of 2025, has encountered similar early difficulties. The German recorded 17 direct goal contributions last season, with seven goals and 10 assists from 49 outings, but has not scored or created a goal in seven games in the current campaign.
Iraola said he knew the level both players could reach and had no doubt they would perform. He was pleased by several elements of Barcola’s display against City, despite Liverpool failing to turn their chances into goals. Barcola, he added, was the more recent arrival, and regular minutes would improve his understanding with his new team-mates.
Injuries narrow Liverpool’s options
The same three players absent against Manchester City — Isak, Gakpo and Szoboszlai — will miss the Austrian journey. All have returned to group training, but Iraola said their recovery has to be assessed day by day and gave no certainty that any would be ready for the forthcoming fixtures against Brentford, Villarreal or Brighton.
Liverpool’s attacking shortage is worsened by Ekitiké’s long-term absence. The French striker ruptured the Achilles tendon in his right leg in April and remains out, even though he finished last season as the club’s leading scorer with 17 goals in all competitions.
That leaves the match in Linz as both a European test and an opportunity for the remaining attackers to respond. Liverpool carry three points from their Atlético win, but will do so without several established options as Iraola waits for his forward line to regain depth.
