Liverpool 2 Ludogorets 1
Mario Balotelli has always had a sense of timing, and waiting until eight minutes from the end of a delicately poised Champions League tie to score his first Liverpool goal in front of the Kop was almost unimprovable. Liverpool do not have a monoply on drama, however, and in the final minute of normal time Ludogorets managed to equalise, only for their new goalkeeper Milan Borjan to spoil what would have been a fairy tale result with a clumsy foul on Javier Manquillo in stoppage time to allow Steven Gerrard to settle the matter with a penalty.
Relief, more than anything, was detectable when the dust settled on a frantic last few minutes. The Bulgarian champions proved capable and clever opponents, and Liverpool were making such heavy weather of breaking them down that the visit of Real Madrid next month could only be imagined with dread.
Certainly Luogorets had their chances to score more, and maybe better ones than Liverpool created until Balotelli's timely strike, which came just after the visitors had struck a post. Liverpool started off at such a frantic rate they passed the ball into touch from the kick-off without a Bulgarian player getting near it. Once they calmed down and kept possession they made better progress, and after Mario Balotelli had been fouled twice in the first three minutes the first Bulgarian booking arrived in the fourth, Aleksandar Aleksandrov illegally preventing a Raheem Sterling breakaway down the left.
Alberto Moreno found more freedom down the same flank but wasted a good opening with a poor delivery after showing impressive speed in a run that took him all the way from his own half to the Ludogorets penalty area.
While the Kop was in good voice throughout the first half, running through its considerable repertoire of European favourites in celebration of being back at the top table, on the pitch Liverpool initially struggled to rise to the occasion. Balotelli turned a Cosmin Moti expertly on the edge of the area only to see Aleksandrov throw himself in the way of his effort, then Adam Lallana’s follow up effort was kept out by Milan Borjan, the Canadian goalkeeper making his debut for Ludogorets after signing as a free agent a couple of days earlier.
At least that left Moti free to resume his outfield career, after the penalty shootout saves against Maribor that enabled Ludogorets to reach this stage, and the big defender took up where Philippe Senderos left off on Saturday by finding space from a free kick on the half hour but putting his header too high. As the interval approached Ludogorets had played themselves into the game and their own fans were beginning to make themselves heard.
A tame Balotelli effort was easily saved and Moreno put another over-ambitious shot over the bar as Liverpool began to take pot-shots from distance rather than pass through their opponents. Balotelli was too isolated up front and Sterling and Philippe Coutinho were too little involved in the game. When that pair finally combined excitingly on the left shortly before the break it led to a cross from which Lallana seemed certain to score, yet Svetoslav Dyakov popped up with a clearance off the line and Borjan and his defenders breathed again.
Liverpool did have nine players making their European debuts for the club - only Steven Gerrard and Sterling had done that before, the latter in a Europa League qualifiers and early rounds - yet that is not to say the home side lacked experience. Coutinho played Champions League football for Internazionale, as did Balotelli, Mamadou Sakho has appeared in the Europa League and Moreno was a winner with Seville last season. Liverpool opened the second half with shots from Coutinho and Jordan Henderson, against from distance and comfortably dealt with, before Balotelli called for and received a cross from the left only to be let down by a poor first touch.
At least Liverpool were creating chances, though Manquillo was guilty of missing the clearest one of the evening when Henderson picked him out with a lofted ball behind the Bulgarian defence, trying to dink the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper but putting it over the crossbar as well. That was the first real goalscoring opportunity missed, and within seconds Ludogorets' impressive wing back Junior Caicara brought the first full stretch save of the evening from Simon Mignolet. He could only parry Caicara's drive and was relieved to find Ludogorets had no one waiting in the middle.
Guardian Service
