Liverpool vs LASK player ratings:
Three players helped Liverpool avoid an embarrassing defeat in the Europa League
The midfielder has been a steady presence as Jurgen Klopp’s side recover from a problematic start in Austria.
Ryan Gravenberch delivered an excellent performance on his full debut for Liverpool as they opened their Europa League campaign with a 3-1 win over LASK on Thursday.
While many of his teammates disappointed for most of the match, the Dutch midfielder showed his strength, neat passing and ability to launch attacks to put pressure on Austria’s solid defense.
Liverpool fell behind less than 15 minutes into the clash thanks to Florian Flecker’s effort from outside the box and despite dominating possession, the Red Devils struggled to create clear-cut chances until when Darwin Nunez took the penalty before time ran out.
From there, the away team had more chances to open the scoring than their opponents and Gravenberch played a central role in their attack, brilliantly bringing the ball into the penalty area from the right wing for Luis Diaz to crush LASK goalkeeper Tobias Lawal. . Liverpool were now comfortable and it was no surprise to see Salah score a third, having been a lively presence since his second-half debut.
Goalkeeper and defense
Caoimhin Kelleher (June 10):
Defeated by a ranged attempt and only has to save for about an hour.
Stefan Bajcetic (4/10):
I saw a lot of the ball behind the right wing but used little of it. He appeared to be in danger of being sent off before a replacement could be found.
Ibrahima Konaté (June 10):
He received a pointless yellow card for dissent and had some sloppy moments but overall he played well.
Virgil van Dijk (7/10):
He was able to sweep to save some of his sloppy teammates and the danger from set-pieces in the LASK area.
Kostas Tsimikas (5/10):
He tried a lot but his defense was weak and his offensive support wasn’t good enough.
Midfielder
Harvey Elliott (June 10):
He had few chances until he delivered the perfect pass to Gravenberch for their second goal. Picked up later in the game when there is more space.
Ryan Gravenberch (8/10):
He looks strong in midfield with his smart passes and quick decisions. Covered a lot of ground and did a great job of preparing Diaz for his goal.
Wataru Endo (4/10):
Poor passing, not strong enough defending and too slow to react most of the time.
Attackers
Ben Doak (5/10):
I struggled to create anything against a tight defence. The atmosphere was somewhat brighter in the second half but calmed down in injury time.
Darwin Nunez (July 10):
He should have scored with his head in the first half and generally struggled to win the ball back, but his penalty was classy. He won the ball and provided good assists for Salah.
Luis Diaz (8/10):
His movements and speed are visible. He didn’t have much freedom thanks to LASK’s marking until his excellent run to the finish line.
Subs and manager
Dominik Szoboszlai (7/10):
He always look good in his possession.
Alexis MacAllister (6/10):
Good follow-up and added stability to improve the Red Devils’ ability to control the game in the second half.
Joe Gomez (6/10):
It was a clever introduction as Ibrahim Mustapha arrived right behind him and looked capable of intimidating them.