Last-gasp Liverpool win after five-year absence

Steven Gerrard struck a last-gasp penalty winner as Liverpool claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Ludogorets on their return to the Champions League.

The Reds were featuring in Europe's elite competition for the first time in just under five years but took until the 82nd minute to snatch the lead when Mario Balotelli fired his first for the club after he capitalised upon a defensive error following Fabio Borini's cross.

However, the Bulgarian champions, appearing at this stage of the competition for the first time in their history, grabbed a sensational injury-time equaliser when substitute Dani Abalo took advantage of a strange decision by Simon Mignolet to round the keeper and tuck home.

It looked like being a disastrous moment for Liverpool until debutant Canadian stopper, Milan Borjan - who joined the Bulgarian outfit just three days prior to the clash - fouled Javi Manquillo following a poor first touch and the referee pointed to the spot.

Gerrard stepped up and secured the three points for Liverpool who join Real Madrid at the top of Group B following the holders' thrashing of Basel.

It could have been very different had Roman Bezjan's low shot not cannoned back off the post at 0-0 or if the referee had given a foul for Dejan Lovren's shove on Marcelinho in the first half. But it wasn't to be for Ludogorets as Liverpool were left breathing a huge sigh of relief after a night of frustration at Anfield.

PRE-MATCH - Sterling returns. Liverpool make one change from their weekend defeat to Aston Villa with Raheem Sterling replacing the suspended Lazar Markovic.

21' - LIVERPOOL CHANCE! Balotelli wriggles past his man on the edge of the area and sees a goal-bound shot blocked. The rebound falls to Lallana who forces a smart save out of the keeper before Sterling is flagged offside as he toils in trying to convert the tap-in.

28' - PENALTY APPEAL!! Lovren pushes Marcelinho to the floor on the left-side of the area. It was very clumsy and the referee was close by. No penalty given. That looked nailed on!

37' - LUDOGORETS CHANCE! Junior Caicara jinks in from the right and lays it off for Anicet Abel who lashes a long-range a couple of yards wide.

38' - LIVERPOOL CHANCES! A wonderful Liverpool move causes chaos in the visiting area but Lallana fails to convert despite two bites at the cherry. From the resulting corner Lovren rises well but powers his header over the top. He should have scored.

53' - LIVERPOOL CHANCE! Henderson spots the overlapping run of Javi Manquillo and clips a lovely diagonal pass into his path. The defender sees it take a last-ditch nick off an opponent and sees his improvised stab over the keeper lob over the bar.

55' - LUDOGORETS CHANCE! Just prior to that booking Caicara fired a 25 yard effort that forced Mignolet into action and push it away.

65' - LUDOGORETS CHANCE! Marcelinho catches Liverpool napping with a long throw that puts Bezjak within a sight of goal, but he arrows his shot wide of the near post.

69' - LIVERPOOL CHANCE! Manquillo clips a superb cross in from the right for Gerrard to power his header straight at Borjan who pushes it over the bar. Good stop.

72' - OFF THE POST - The visitors carve Liverpool open and Bezjak finds himself clear on goal, but he gets his big moment all wrong as his low shot crashes back off the far post.

74' - LIVERPOOL CHANCE! Henderson gets on the end of Moreno's left-wing cross but flicks his header just wide. Great chance with time running out.

82' - GOAL! LIVERPOOL 1-0LUDOGORETS Relief for Liverpool as Super Mario comes to the rescue! It's his first for the club and it's at the Kop end. Borini's left-wing cross isn't dealt with and Balotelli swoops in to lash it into the net.

86' - LIVERPOOL CHANCE. Balotelli suddenly has his mojo going on as he picks up the ball on the left and lets fly with a shot the keeper does well to push away.

90' - GOAL! LIVERPOOL 1-1 LUDOGORETS. Dani Abalo stuns Anfield as he races onto Hamza's through ball and rounds the keeper before slotting home. Bizarre decision by Mignolet to come out.

90+3' - GOAL! LIVERPOOL 2-1 LUDOGORETS. Gerrard steps up and converts the penalty winner after debutant keeper Borjan fouled Manquillo following a poor piece of control. Huge relief for the Reds!

Mario Balotelli is the first Italian to score for four different Champions League clubs.

Steven Gerrard has now scored 40 goals in Europe for Liverpool.

Gerrard is the fourth English player to hit 20+ CL goals, after Rooney (29), Scholes (24) & Lampard (23).

Ludogorets are one of two clubs to make their first Champions League appearance this season (since 1992/93), alongside Malmö.

Ludogorets are Liverpool's 120th different European opponent and their third from Bulgaria following CSKA Sofia and Levski Sofia.

Gerrard becomes the sixth oldest player to represent Liverpool in Europe at the age of 34 years 109 days. Only Gary McAllister, Ian Callaghan, Jamie Carragher, Bruce Grobbelaar and Sami Hyypia have been older.

Balotelli has only scored eight goals in the Champions League but they have come for four different clubs.

(Stats courtesy of Opta and Infostrada)

Another dramatic European night at Anfield - have you missed them? All the pre-match hype was about Liverpool's return to Europe's elite competition after almost five years of absence, but this was a boring affair for large spells of the encounter. The Reds toiled in the absence of Daniel Sturridge once more, but when it comes to the floodlights in L4 you can always bank on drama. Three goals in the last 10 minutes clinched victory for Brendan Rodgers' charges in a breathless finale as the Merseysiders once again showed you can never write them off. Sterner tests lie ahead but if Liverpool can get out of Group B, no-one will fancy a knockout game at Anfield.

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool): Very few Liverpool players shone on a night of frustration and it was the visitors who excelled on the big stage. However, it takes nerves of steel to step up and take a spot-kick to win it in stoppage time and the Reds skipper was once again their saviour.

Liverpool: Mignolet 5, Manquillo 7, Moreno 7, Lovren 6, Sakho 6, Gerrard 7, Henderson 6, Coutinho 5, Sterling 6, Lallana 6, Balotelli 6.Subs: Lucas 5, Borini 6,

Ludogorets: Borjan 5, Aleksandrov.A 7, Minev 7, Moti 7, Caicara 7, Abel 7, Dyakov 7, Marcelinho 7, Aleksandrov.M 7, Bezjak 6, Misidjan 7. Subs: Hamza 6, Abalo 7, Espinho 5.