Lask Linz vs Liverpool: Six Liverpool Absentees

Lask LinzLAS

Robert Ljubičić 63'
Florian Flecker 74', 77'

UEFA Champions League

3–6

Full Time

HT 0–3

Raiffeisen Arena

Linz

LiverpoolLIV

Ronald Araujo 22'
Bradley Barcola 24', 37', 66'
Jeremie Frimpong 51'
Lewis Koumas 72'

AI ForecastsGraded

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LASK host Liverpool in Linz after an opening-night defeat, while Liverpool took a narrow win in their first league-stage game. The gulf in squad value is enormous, and Liverpool's players have the technical edge in both boxes. Even so, the visitors are missing Gakpo, Szoboszlai and Isak, which could blunt their attack and leave them less fluent than usual. LASK have created decent chances in recent games, with more clear-cut openings than they have conceded, and they scored five in their one home outing. The home side should be able to find a goal, but Liverpool's quality should tell over ninety minutes.

Match ResultAway Win74%

Liverpool have far greater squad value, were a strong side last season and are on a five-match unbeaten run. LASK lost their opener and have two starters out injured. Liverpool's own absences keep this from being a formality.

Win or DrawAway or Draw90%

Liverpool avoiding defeat is the clear expectation given the gap in quality and form. LASK's best route is a draw built on home energy and set pieces, but a home win would be a big upset.

Total Goals3 or more goals70%

This competition has produced plenty of goals, with most of its matches going past 2.5. Liverpool have gone past that mark in six of their last ten, and LASK's defence is stretched by injuries. A mismatch should open up the game and push it past 2.5 goals.

High-confidence forecasts have landed 74% of the time this season, over 2,080 graded calls.

Lask Linz vs Liverpool: Six Liverpool Absentees

Published Wed 14 Oct

Lask Linz host Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, 14 October 2026 at Raiffeisen Arena in Linz, where the visitors arrive without six injured first-team players.

Liverpool travel without Isak and five others

Liverpool enter this fixture following a 3-0 home defeat against Manchester City on 11 October 2026. Alexander Isak, who leads Liverpool with 4 goals this season across all competitions, is ruled out with an injury. The visiting side are also missing Cody Gakpo, Conor Bradley, Dominik Szoboszlai, Giovanni Leoni and Hugo Ekitiké through injury.

Despite those absences, Liverpool hold 3 points from their opening European game after defeating Atletico Madrid 2-1 on 9 September 2026, sitting 15th in the 36-team Champions League standings. Over their last 5 matches with chance data, Liverpool have produced 1.36 expected goals and conceded 1.18 a game.

Lask Linz seek first league stage points

Lask Linz sit 27th in the standings with 0 points after opening the league stage with a 1-0 defeat away at AEK Athens FC on 8 September 2026. The Austrian side secured qualification earlier in the campaign by beating Celtic 5-1 at home on 25 August 2026, following a 3-0 away loss in the first leg on 19 August 2026.

Squad options for the home side are curtailed by injuries to George Bello, Moses Usor and Ramiz Harakaté. Lask Linz rely in attack on Samuel Adeniran, their leading scorer with 2 goals across all competitions this season. In their last 3 matches with tracked chance quality, Lask Linz generated 2.37 expected goals per game while allowing 1.06.

The previous encounters between the two clubs came in 2023, when Liverpool won 3-1 in Linz on 21 September 2023 and followed up with a 4-0 home victory on 30 November 2023.

Our model firmly expects a Liverpool win

Our forecasting model firmly expects a Liverpool win. That projection reflects Liverpool's positive European start from their 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid and their past head-to-head dominance over Lask Linz, even as six injured players test their squad depth.

#	Team	P	GD	Pts
5	Liverpool	2	4	6
33	Lask Linz	2	-4	0

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