Champions League: Yvan Dibango produces a remarkable feat despite LASK’s defeat to Liverpool

14.10.26 FT Champions League

LASK

3

:

Liverpool

6

Cameroon defender Yvan Dibango provided three assists against Liverpool on Wednesday, October 14, in the Champions League. Despite this remarkable performance, LASK Linz lost 6-3 at home at the end of a match marked by Bradley Barcola’s hat-trick.

Yvan Dibango found a way to stand out on a difficult evening for LASK. Facing Liverpool on matchday two of the Champions League league phase, the Cameroonian full-back was involved in all three of his team’s goals. It was a rare individual performance in the competition, but it was not enough to prevent the Austrian club from losing.

Three assists in fifteen minutes

With Liverpool having built a sizeable lead, Dibango contributed to LASK’s second-half response. In the 63rd minute, he set up Robert Ljubičić, who pulled the score back to 4-1. The Cameroonian then found Florian Flecker twice.

In the 74th minute, his cross from the left allowed Flecker to score with a header. Three minutes later, the two men combined again in a similar move. Dibango delivered another ball into the box and Flecker finished first time to make it 6-3.

In the space of a quarter of an hour, the defender was therefore directly involved in all three of his team’s goals. LASK reduced the deficit but could not challenge the English side’s victory.

Read also: Transfer news: Cameroon’s Yvan Dibango leaves Ukraine for Austria

Dibango enters Champions League history

This performance places Yvan Dibango in a very select group. According to Opta statistics, he is the third African player to provide at least three assists in a single Champions League match, after Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o in 2006 and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi in 2018.

The Cameroonian achieved this feat in a particularly challenging context. Liverpool had already scored four goals before the Austrian side’s first. Bradley Barcola, who scored a hat-trick, notably made his mark on the match, while Ronald Araújo, Jeremie Frimpong and Lewis Koumas also contributed to the visitors’ attacking display.

For LASK, this second defeat in the league phase complicates the start of its European campaign. For Dibango, the three assists will remain one of the highlights of the match, despite an unfavourable team result.

Nouya M'toama

Editorfr, en

Versatile journalist specializing in sports and political news, with extensive experience across radio, print and digital media platforms.

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