(Football news) Liverpool were relegated to the second division of European football after finishing fifth in the Premier League last season, while the hosts beat Zrinjski Mostar 3-2 in qualification to extend their continental trip.
The Red Bull Salzburg juggernaut remains the dominant power in Austrian football, leaving Sturm Graz and LASK in a two-horse race for the ‘best of the rest’ designation, and Liverpool’s impending opponents ultimately fell short of a runners-up finish.
With Sturm Graz advancing to Champions League qualifying, the third-placed Linz crop entered the preliminary rounds of the Europa League at the final hurdle, where Bosnian minnows Zrinjski were defeated 3-2 by Thomas Sageder’s troops, propelling the Black-Whites into the group stages for only the third time.
Sturm Graz’s Europa League debut in 2019-20 ended in a last-16 loss to Manchester United, while they failed to advance beyond the group stage a year later, before a shot at Europa Conference League glory in 2021-22 ended in another early knockout exit to Slavia Prague.
On current form, however, the one-time Austrian champions may fancy their chances of edging out fellow Group E rivals Toulouse and Union SG to one of the top two spots in the section – with second place guaranteeing a spot in the knockout round playoffs – as LASK enter Thursday’s opener unbeaten in seven competitive games.
Sageder’s men made it three league wins in a row with a 3-1 victory away to Austria Klagenfurt on Saturday, and they have also won each of their past four games at the Raiffeisen Arena, scoring two goals and allowing just one.
The hosts’ accomplishments in front of their home audience are nothing to be sniffed at, but the standard of opposition will rise dramatically when an in-form Liverpool visit town, having seen their six-year sequence of consecutive Champions League qualification come to an end in 2022-23.
It was fitting that serial Europa League winner Unai Emery would be the one to consign the Reds to his preferred competition for the first time since the 2015-16 season, as a 1-1 draw with the Spaniard’s Aston Villa ended any slim hopes Jurgen Klopp’s side had of finishing in the top four.
The six-time Champions League champions walked out to the Europa League anthem on a regular basis between 2010 and 2016, even reaching the final in the latter year, only to lose to Sevilla’s supremacy, but Klopp’s side are now the bookies’ favourites to lift the trophy aloft at the Aviva Stadium.
Liverpool extended their winning streak to four games over the weekend, coming from behind to defeat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 thanks to goals from Cody Gakpo, Andy Robertson, and a Hugo Bueno own goal, securing third place in the Premier League table at this early stage.
After bouncing back against Gary O’Neil’s Wolves, Liverpool are now unbeaten in 16 competitive games in their bid to secure an immediate return to the Champions League, which they could achieve with a top-four finish or by going all the way in the Europa League, adding another continental trophy to their cabinet.
LASK and Liverpool have never met on the competitive stage before, although the hosts have only avoided defeat in one of their previous four meetings with English sides, holding Tottenham Hotspur to a thrilling 3-3 home draw in the 2020-21 group phase.
Liverpool form in all competitions
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LASK Linz form in all competitions
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