There are quieter ways to begin a loan spell.
On Saturday evening at the Red Bull Arena, a Liverpool goalkeeper spent the entire 90 minutes being hunted by a Red Bull Salzburg side rebuilt from top to bottom this summer, and very nearly walked away with a point for his trouble.
The numbers from the opening round of the Austrian Bundesliga season make for uncomfortable reading.
Salzburg had 73 per cent of the ball, took 28 attempts at goal and forced 19 corners.
TSV Hartberg, the visitors, managed four shots, only one of which found the target, and two corners.
Yet the scoreboard stayed blank deep into the closing stages, and the reason for that was standing between the posts at the far end.
The pattern was set inside four minutes, when Gaoussou Diakité struck from 20 metres and was denied.
Wave after wave followed.
Eight saves later, Hartberg were still level, and Salzburg were still searching.
The breakthrough arrived in the 89th minute, Dominik Schmid delivering from the left and substitute Karim Konaté rising at the near post to head home the only goal of the evening.
Liverpool goalkeeper who is currently on loan was the one who came so close to spoiling the party.
Armin Pecsi, the 21 year old Hungarian joined Liverpool from Puskás Akadémia for a reported £1.5 million last summer.
He spent 2025/26 as the club’s fourth choice behind Alisson Becker, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Freddie Woodman, first choice for the under 21s and named in the senior matchday squad on five occasions without ever getting on the pitch.
Liverpool confirmed his season long move to Hartberg on 23 July, and it was reported that the Austrian club would have him take up duties as their number one, both senior goalkeepers having departed over the summer.
Saturday was his first competitive appearance for them, with Luka Marić having started the ÖFB Cup win at SC Imst the previous weekend.
The context makes the performance more impressive rather than less.
Hartberg are into a third spell under Markus Schopp and have turned over most of their squad, while Salzburg have a new head coach in Danny Röhl and a desperate hunger to reclaim a league title they have not won in three years.
Pecsi was, for long stretches, the only thing standing between the two.
Liverpool supporters will note the precedent. Vitezslav Jaros spent a season on loan in Austria and won a domestic double before returning to fight for a place at Anfield.
Pecsi, already capped by Hungary, has begun his own audition in far tougher circumstances, and has answered the first question emphatically.
