LASK made life difficult for the Reds in their Europa League opener.
Jurgen Klopp was not impressed by LASK’s playing surface after Liverpool battled to a 3-1 Europa League win in Austria. The Reds boss also shed light on his decision to substitute Ryan Gravenberch, with fans fearful of a potential injury setback.
Gravenberch went down under his own steam as the game edged towards its conclusion, with medical staff called on before he trudged off the pitch. Klopp wasted no time in easing fans’ concerns after the final whistle, confirming to TNT Sports that the midfielder merely had a touch of cramp.
That much is to be expected, with Gravenberch starved of minutes during his solitary season at Bayern Munich. The Dutchman was given his first start for the Reds on Thursday, casting aside signs of ring rust to notch a smart assist for Luis Diaz.
It was far from straightforward for Liverpool on away turf, with Florian Flecker’s stunning first-half effort going unanswered until well into the second period.
But Diaz was joined on the scoresheet by Darwin Nunez and late substitute Mohamed Salah, with Klopp’s blushes spared and three points put on the board early in the Reds’ Europa League campaign.
After the match, Klopp couldn’t help but launch a dig at the state of LASK’s pitch. “The stadium is outstanding, as is the atmosphere,” he said. “But the green thing in the middle isn’t a lawn, it’s a meadow. That could be dangerous here by December at the latest.”
Thankfully for Klopp, Liverpool overcame the elements to preserve their unbeaten streak, which dates back to April 1. That includes 15 consecutive matches without defeat in the Premier League, an active run unmatched by any team in England’s top division.
When domestic action resumes this weekend, many of the Reds’ major stars will be fresh and raring to go after Klopp made 11 changes for the trip to LASK. Three points will be up for grabs when West Ham visit Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
It remains to be seen whether Gravenberch is rewarded with another start against the Hammers. The youngster faced backlash for turning down a Netherlands U21 call-up in order to focus on his new club earlier this month.
Although it was far from a faultless display, Klopp made it clear that he was pleased with what he saw, saying: “Ryan played a super game and was really decisive for us.”
