Questions about his form came first; three Champions League goals from Bradley Barcola gave the answer on a wild night involving Liverpool.
Bradley Barcola walked into this Champions League night with questions hanging over his form. He walked out with a hat-trick and the match ball.
The French forward had been the subject of pre-match debate around Liverpool's meeting with LASK, with plenty wondering whether his recent run of form would hold up on Europe's biggest stage. Barcola responded the way elite attackers do, by scoring three goals.
It was a chaotic evening for Liverpool, and Barcola stood out in the middle of it. A hat-trick in the Champions League is a statement in any circumstances. After a spell of scrutiny, it hits even harder.
Barcola has now given his critics something new to think about. The next question is whether he can turn one big night into a sustained run, and the Champions League spotlight will be on him to prove it.
