After a wild day of Champions League group stage play on Tuesday, we’ve got more matches to cover on Wednesday. Liverpool will travel to Linz to face LASK Linz in their second league phase match. Will the home side have enough to pull off the upset? Or will the Reds storm to all three points?
Liverpool are -340 moneyline favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with a +500 draw. LASK Linz’s moneyline is set at +800.
LASK Linz vs. Liverpool Prediction, Pick
LASK are riding high into this match. Last season, they won their first Austrian Bundesliga title since 1964/65, marking a club-history moment and securing a Champions League berth. But their first match didn’t go as intended; in a very winnable match, Linz lost 1-0 to AEK Athens. It’s a long qualifying stage with a lot of unknowns ahead, and points out of the gate would have been huge for a club fighting an uphill battle in this tournament.
Linz brings a solid five-man back line to the table. Andrés Andrade has been the star on the back line, with strong support in the center from Xavier Mbuyamba and Alemão. The wing-backs have been strong as well, but they’ll have to make do without George Bello; their starting left-back is out with a muscle injury. Sascha Horvath and Melayro Bogarde have been solid in the middle, making important defensive contributions and key passes. Up top, Christoph Lang has been the star man; after scoring six goals in 32 contests for LASK in 2024/25, he’s found the net 10 times in 13 contests to begin the season.
Liverpool haven’t had the kind of start they wanted in the Premier League. After winning the title in 2024/25, they dropped to fifth last season and are currently ninth after six league matches. The Reds believe they’re in a trophy-winning position and are looking to the Champions League to get back on track. So far, so good; they faced a stiff test in their first league phase match against Atletico Madrid, defending their home turf with a 2-1 win. Alexis MacAllister provided the winner with a second-half strike.
It’ll be interesting to see who Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola selects for this match. The Reds have a short turnaround before an important league match against Brentford on Saturday, and may hope some second-team players can do the job against LASK. It’s a good chance for backup goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili to get in net. Players like Konstantinos Tsimikas, Wataru Endo, and Federico Chiesa may be the veterans for this match, while youngsters such as Rio Ngumoha, Lewis Koumas, Trey Nyoni, and Jayden Danns may get chances to play.
Even a second-choice Liverpool side would have the massive upper hand over Linz, and would retain the vast majority of possession. Will their second-team players be comfortable enough in possession to break down this LASK defense? Or will the five-man Linz back line hold firm enough to give their attack a chance?
I’m not confident that this Linz attack will break through against Liverpool, but I do think their defense can hold together well enough to avoid getting embarrassed in this match. My money is on a Liverpool win and the under.
