After Liverpool's 6-3 away victory over LASK in the Champions League, Louie Koumas, who scored his debut Champions League goal, was interviewed by CBS Sports after the match. He discussed his feelings about scoring in his first Champions League start, his previous two disallowed goals, and the excellent performances of Wirtz and Barcola. He also thanked head coach Arne Slot for his trust.
Reporter: You scored your debut Champions League goal in your first Champions League start. Share your feelings with us at this moment.
Louie Koumas: It's an amazing feeling, and to do it for Liverpool means a lot to me. I'm really happy; it was an excellent away win.
Looking back at your two brilliant goals that were both disallowed for offside, did it ever cross your mind that you might not score tonight?
I think as a forward, the most crucial thing is not to dwell on such situations. You have to immediately put it behind you, focus on the next opportunity, and seize it. That's exactly what I did.
Walk us through the goal that eventually counted.
I saw Jeremie (Frimpong) in a lot of space, and I knew he would put in a cross, so I tried my best to stay calm, patiently waited for the pass, and focused entirely on connecting with the ball. The ball went in cleanly; I think it went right through the goalkeeper's legs.
You're surrounded by many excellent teammates at Liverpool, but tonight on the pitch, seeing Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola deliver such explosive performances—it must be incredible to play alongside them?
Absolutely, it certainly is. Honestly, it even feels a bit unbelievable. It's truly pleasing to see both of them perform so well tonight. It's not easy to join from abroad and adapt quickly in a short time, so to see both of them perform at a high level tonight makes me genuinely happy for them.
How do you feel about getting continuous starting opportunities and playing an important role in the team? You've been running tirelessly on the field; you must be exhausted now, right?
Yes, I'm truly very grateful. The coach has shown me a lot of trust, especially by starting me in two consecutive matches. I had a great chance in the last game against Manchester City, and I really wished I had scored then, but the opposing goalkeeper made a brilliant save. Being able to respond positively in adversity tonight and secure a big win away from home feels absolutely wonderful.
This is also the perfect comeback, isn't it? Because, in fact, for most of the match against Manchester City, Liverpool played quite well before being reduced to ten men. The team really needed a win like tonight's to bounce back, and this is undoubtedly an excellent response.
Yes, it was a perfect redemption, and now we'll put all our effort into carrying this good momentum into the weekend's game.
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