• Liverpool 2-1 Ludogorets Razgrad, Champions League

Gerrard penalty swings dramatic finale

Mario Balotelli prods home his first goal for Liverpool on a dramatic night of European football at Anfield © Getty Images

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Steven Gerrard was the injury-time hero at Anfield once again as Champions League football returned to Liverpool in dramatic fashion.

Gerrard held his nerve to convert a stoppage-time penalty after Mario Balotelli had opened his Liverpool account with what seemed like it would be the winner in the 82nd minute.

Match Analysis

• Man of the Match: He will have better matches for Liverpool, no doubt, but Mario Balotelli showed the kind of magic for his goal that makes all the surrounding circus and frustration worthwhile.
• Villain: Poor Milan Borjan. The Ludogorets goalkeeper only joined the club last weekend due to injuries and suspension to their incumbents, then gives away the crucial penalty. Heartbreaking.
• Key Moment: The tenacity shown by Javi Manquillo to charge forward at the death and chase down Borjan's miscontrol of a back-pass, producing the penalty incident. It's certainly one way for Manquillo to win over his new team-mates.
• Steven Saunders

However, Ludogorets - who gave as good as they got throughout the match - equalised as the match entered injury time, Dani Abalo taking advantage of a misjudgement by Simon Mignolet to roll the ball into the net.

Liverpool's Champions League absence extended to 1,742 days and they discovered much had changed in the interim, with Gerrard the only survivor from the last squad to play in the competition.

With nine players making their European debuts for the club - only Gerrard and Raheem Sterling, replacing the suspended Lazar Markovic, having played in continental competition before - the lack of cohesion was understandable.

It takes time to build success in the Champions League, even against Bulgarian outsiders, and of the nine 'newbies' Simon Mignolet, Jordan Henderson, Alberto Moreno, Adam Lallana and Sterling were all making their bow in this competition.

That inexperience led to naivety, with lots of niggling fouls conceded as players failed to adjust to a European way of refereeing, although Slovakian official Matej Jug did seem particularly pedantic.

Moreno, a Europa League winner with Sevilla last season, provided Liverpool's best outlet in the first half with a number of trademark charges down the left flank but he struggled to deliver the killer cross on a number of occasions and blazed another goal attempt well over.

Balotelli produced a slick turn to beat Cosmin Moti but his shot blocked by Aleksandar Aleksandrov and Lallana's follow-up rebounded off goalkeeper Milan Borjan - only signed at the weekend after suspension and injury ruled out Ludogorets' first and second choices - to Balotelli, who was offside.

Champions League Results & Stats

Arsenal's defence was ripped apart by the Borussia Dortmund attack as they were simply outclassed in Germany © AP

• Galatasaray 1-1 Anderlecht
• Olympiakos 3-2 Atletico Madrid
• Real Madrid 5-1 FC Basel
• AS Monaco 1-0 Bayer Leverkusen
• Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Arsenal
• Juventus 2-0 Malmo
• Benfica 0-2 Zenit

The best move of the half saw Philippe Coutinho, Sterling and Henderson combine to tee up Lallana but his goalbound strike was blocked by Svetoslav Dyakov and Dejan Lovren headed over the resulting corner.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers predicted Ludogorets, Bulgarian champions for the last three seasons, would play an open style and he was proved right with the visitors comfortable in possession and quick to get forward - but their lack of genuine quality in the final third meant they did not trouble goalkeeper Mignolet.

Rodgers' pre-match comments also stressed the need for patience if their familiar fast start did not pay dividends - but it was a virtue in short supply with the home fans expecting to see the Champions League debutants despatched with some ease.

Attacking The Kop in the second half the tempo quickened with Manquillo volleying over before Junior Caicara almost surprised Mignolet with a low, long-range effort which the goalkeeper batted away.

Balotelli hooked Manquillo's cross into the bank of expectant supporters behind the goal but Roman Bezjak almost capitalised on a sleeping Gerrard at a quickly-taken throw-in to blaze over, although his next effort almost silenced Anfield with a shot which beat Mignolet but rebounded off the far post.

Liverpool's chances were not as close with substitute Fabio Borini's header tipped over by Borjan and Henderson nodding wide.

When the ball was fed in to Balotelli he squeezed between two defenders, turned and poked home from close range only for Abalo to get in behind Lovren, round Mignolet and slide home.

But if any club know the value of not giving up in the Champions League it is Liverpool and when Manquillo was brought down by Borjan after he miscontrolled a backpass, the stage was set for Gerrard - and he duly delivered.

Steven Gerrard holds his nerve to convert a stoppage-time penalty and win the match for Liverpool © PA Photos

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