Following Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over LASK, Jurgen Klopp referred to the Raiffeisen Arena pitch as being “really bad,” which prompted the Austrian club to respond.
Liverpool came back from a 1-0 deficit to win the game, but the manager felt it was important to note the condition of LASK’s surface.
Due to their lack of possession, the hosts “suffered much less,” according to Klopp, who described it as “really bad.”
The uneven bounce of the ball was a problem for the Reds more frequently because they had 68 percent of the possession on the night.
In their subsequent response to Liverpool’s comments, LASK acknowledged the issues. The club, via Volksblatt, stated: “It is a substructure construction flaw.
“This causes problems with the drainage of the place. We are aware of the issue, it cannot be solved in one day because this is only possible step by step. We hope it can be resolved by October.”
That would allow for the team’s final home games in the group, which Thomas Sageder’s team will host Union SG on November 9 and Toulouse on December 14.
Theoretically, if the visiting teams had more possession than the home team, this should benefit them. Additionally, future away teams would benefit because LASK would lose the advantage of being more accustomed to the unpredictable bounce.
Fortunately, Liverpool prevailed during their visit, but players ought to be able to adjust to competing on fields that are inferior to their own.
Having said that, a ripped-up field unquestionably affects which team’s style works best that day.
Despite the Raiffeisen Arena’s pitch opening earlier this year, Klopp is not the only one to have voiced concerns about its condition.
The Austrian national team, according to Volksblatt, “recently complained about this during international matches.”
In the most recent of three games Austria has played at the new stadium, they drew 1-1 against Moldova on September 7.