Jurgen Klopp held his traditional post-match celebration with the traveling Liverpool fans. Photo: AP Photo/Matthias Schrader Match Summary: LASK v Liverpool < p>We'll look at this European campaign as Jurgen Klopp's break year; a surprise detour into unfamiliar continental arenas in preparation for the return of the Champions League next year.
Anyway, this is the road map of Liverpool.
For Austria's LASK, the milestone of Klopp's 50th European win as Liverpool manager probably deserved a better occasion and a more distinguished opponent. . None of Klopp's respected predecessors won so much. Instead, he and his players have understandably taken some time to adjust to their exile from the top flight.
The Klopp era has seen Liverpool rejoice at the Allianz Arena, San Siro, Etihad and pretty much anywhere else they weren't playing against Real Madrid. Pangs of pain are inevitable this season, with the players closest to the Champions League anthem watching Wednesday night matches from their team hotel rooms.
This is the closest a six-time European Cup winning club has come to understanding what relegation is.
There have been times in Liverpool's recent history when participation in the Europa League seemed a necessary and beneficial step. Not now. Liverpool didn't need this to become a top-four team again. But here they are, VIPs in grounds where the hosts can barely believe Klopp is in town, trying to complete passes on a cabbage patch while the local fans' drummer beats harder with every LASK attack in one of the biggest matches in history. their story.
The Europa League will obviously not be so humiliated by Klopp. If Liverpool win it and add to Klopp's silverware at Anfield, there will be lavish celebrations. The small town of Linz, where the planned trip to the final in Dublin began, is a delight, and its fans created a constant, ferocious noise.
They also gave Liverpool a scare before normal life was restored, with which in this season, it is becoming a common practice to return.
But it still doesn't quite feel right that Liverpool were here. This team and their coach are better than UEFA's second division and their ability to easily overcome vastly inferior opponents with the help and support of world class players from the bench is why they are favorites to win the tournament.
“Oh yes. I know how the world works. I know people expect us to overcome the competition,” Klopp said. “But we need to get to the bottom of it, and that’s what we did. We had a lot of learning to do tonight.”
Klopp is right that his less experienced players will benefit from playing time that would be denied them in Europe's premier competition.
He suggested before kick-off that he would treat the game with the same importance as the Champions League. It was a bluff. His team sheet clearly resembled the “first rounds of domestic cups.” In fact, not much different from the atmosphere around the stadium. The commentators seemed to be saying, «That's the story,» while the losers momentarily dreamed of a shock that would reverberate across the continent.
Klopp's choice was a combination of risk and reward. Exciting teenager Ben Doak made his European debut, becoming the fourth youngest Liverpool player to do so. There's a lot more from him. Ryan Gravenberch also enjoyed valuable game time, while another young talent Stefan Bajekic made his first appearance of the season.
With abundance come moments of vulnerability.
Darwin Nunez equalizes for Liverpool Credit: Getty Images/REINHARD EISENBAUER
The Austrians came to have fun and did so for 56 minutes when they took the lead thanks to Florian Flecker's 20-yard run through a crowded penalty area. This caused as many incredulous looks from both home fans and Liverpool defenders.
Until then, Liverpool had occasionally reverted to the tactics that got them into the competition, with a lack of fluency, sometimes overpowering, and with Darwin Nunez's goal the odds rate reverting to the low percentage. He wasted two headers and would have been hit had he read Doak's clever cross.
Nunez put things right with an equalizing penalty before the tide swung irreversibly in Liverpool's favour, with the introduction of Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah confirmed the difference in class. Luis Diaz and Salah gave the victory a sheen that reflected the respective qualities of the teams, the Egyptian's brilliant strike almost ordinary by his incredible standards.
The 50th win is a real milestone for Klopp. Of course, the current European formats guarantee more matches than were afforded to Bill Shankly or Bob Paisley. Rafa Benitez coached Liverpool to 49 European Cup victories.
«Let me put it this way,» Klopp said. “If I still have 50 wins at the end of the group stage, I will still be the most successful and everyone will hate it.”
There is no danger that Klopp will not be able to add to the tally in the next five games. If he turns 60 by the end of the season, these unintentional excursions will be worth it.
Line-ups: LASK vs Liverpool
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