Liverpool’s response to Manchester City will be judged by more than the result in Linz.

A victory over LASK would strengthen their position in the Champions League league phase and restore some confidence after Sunday’s 3-0 defeat at Anfield. More importantly, the performance could offer a clearer indication of whether Andoni Iraola’s side can translate their pressing intensity into sustained attacking control.

Liverpool were competitive for an hour against City before Ryan Gravenberch’s dismissal transformed the contest. The subsequent collapse was emphatic, but it should not dictate the entire narrative around Wednesday’s game. Iraola has a chance to demonstrate that Liverpool can adapt to a different opponent and manage the demands of a congested schedule.

That will not be straightforward. Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai remain unavailable, while Liverpool are beginning a run of four matches in 10 days. The head coach has acknowledged that changes are likely, with freshness and minor fitness concerns influencing his selection.

The challenge is to rotate without losing the structure that makes Liverpool effective.

LASK will not necessarily approach Liverpool in the same way as City, but Iraola has warned against underestimating their capacity to control matches.

“They are normally dominant, they spend a lot of time on the ball,” he said in his pre-match assessment of the Austrian champions.

That presents an interesting tactical test. Liverpool’s most effective pressing sequences depend on winning the ball in positions from which they can attack quickly. Against an opponent comfortable circulating possession, the timing of the press and the distances between Liverpool’s midfield and forward lines will be important.

If Liverpool press too aggressively without adequate cover behind the ball, LASK could exploit the spaces left in midfield. If they allow the hosts to settle into possession, they risk spending long periods defending rather than building their own attacks.

The answer is not simply to press harder. Liverpool must press intelligently, recognise when to engage and maintain enough compactness to prevent LASK from playing through them.

There should also be opportunities for Liverpool to exploit. LASK lost their Champions League opener 1-0 away to AEK Athens and were beaten 2-0 by Rapid Vienna in their most recent domestic fixture. Their European campaign began with a narrow defeat, but their route into the league phase demonstrated their capacity to respond under pressure.

They overturned a four-goal aggregate deficit against Celtic in the qualifying play-offs, eventually progressing after extra time. That comeback is a reminder that Liverpool cannot expect the occasion or the opposition’s recent results to do their work for them.

LASK will be motivated by the opportunity to claim their first points of the league phase. Liverpool’s greater European pedigree will count for little if their hosts are allowed to dictate the rhythm of the game.

The absences of Isak, Gakpo and Szoboszlai leave Liverpool with fewer established options in attack and midfield. Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are also long-term absentees, while Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo are ineligible because they were not included in Liverpool’s Champions League squad.

Iraola has suggested that changes are likely, partly because of the physical demands of the schedule. Liverpool face Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday before hosting Villarreal in Europe next Tuesday.

That makes selection more complicated than simply picking the strongest available side. Liverpool need enough continuity to establish control in Austria, but the manager must also protect players who will be needed across the coming week.

The central question is how Liverpool maintain their attacking threat without their usual options. Lewis Koumas led the line against City, while Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola remain important to the team’s ability to create opportunities from open play.

Iraola has publicly backed both players, insisting that their contributions should not be judged solely by goals and assists. He pointed to the chance Koumas had against City, arguing that Barcola’s performance would have been viewed differently had that opportunity been converted.

That is a fair point, but Wednesday offers an opportunity for the pair to develop their understanding in a competitive setting. Wirtz needs runners ahead of him and reliable passing options between the lines; Barcola’s directness can help stretch a defence and create space for others.

The key is how Liverpool connect those qualities to the wider team. If the forwards become isolated, or the midfield cannot support attacks quickly enough, Liverpool risk repeating the pattern of promising possession without enough clear chances.

Against LASK, the quality of Liverpool’s movement around the ball may matter as much as the identity of the players selected.

Liverpool opened their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 victory over Atlético Madrid at Anfield. Another win would put them in a strong position early in the league phase, but an away fixture brings different demands.

The opening stages will be important. Liverpool need to avoid allowing the home crowd to lift LASK into a sustained spell of pressure, while also resisting the temptation to force attacks simply to demonstrate a reaction to Sunday’s defeat.

An early goal would help settle the contest, but control can be established in other ways: keeping possession under pressure, limiting turnovers in dangerous areas and preventing LASK from launching attacks against an unsettled defence.

Liverpool’s defensive transitions deserve particular attention. The defeat to City became increasingly damaging after Gravenberch’s dismissal, when the numerical disadvantage made it harder to protect the spaces around the defence. Wednesday is a chance to demonstrate better organisation in those moments, even against a different style of opposition.

The objective should be to make the match predictable on Liverpool’s terms. That means choosing when to accelerate, when to retain possession and when to press, rather than allowing the game to become an exchange of transitions.

Such control would be particularly valuable with another Premier League fixture only three days away.

LASK have enough incentive and quality to make this uncomfortable, but Liverpool should travel to Austria expecting to win. Their challenge is to turn that expectation into a performance that reflects their ambitions in Europe.

Iraola’s selection will provide an early indication of his priorities. The response of Liverpool’s senior players will be equally important, particularly with several regular contributors unavailable and opportunities opening up for those further down the squad.

A win would not erase the problems exposed against City. Nor would a difficult away performance automatically undermine the progress Liverpool have made under their head coach. The more useful measure is whether the team can demonstrate a clearer attacking structure, maintain its defensive discipline and manage the game when circumstances change.

For Liverpool, this is not simply about putting a disappointing weekend behind them. It is about showing that the lessons from that defeat can be applied immediately.

Iraola needs a result, but he also needs evidence that his side can control a European away match without relying on individual moments or allowing frustration to dictate their approach. Wednesday’s test begins there.