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Gerrard is Liverpool's record goalscorer in Europe with 40 goals

Gerrard wins match with late penalty

Balotelli scores first Liverpool goal

First Champions League game at Anfield since 2009

Liverpool join Real Madrid on three points in Group B

Steven Gerrard's stoppage-time penalty ensured Liverpool marked their return to Champions League football with a victory over Bulgarian champions Ludogorets Razgrad.

After a low-key first half, the Reds took the lead in the 82nd minute when Mario Balotelli held off two defenders and poked home his first goal for the club.

Substitute Dani Abalo appeared to have clinched a point for the visitors in the final minute when he rounded Simon Mignolet and scored.

But there was a further twist when debutant goalkeeper Milan Borjan fouled Javier Manquillo in the second minute of stoppage time to give the hosts a spot-kick.

Captain Gerrard found the net in front of the Kop to send the crowd into raptures and give Liverpool a winning start to their Group B campaign.

Champions League: Brendan Rodgers praises 'persistent' Liverpool

It was a fairytale ending reminiscent of the many glorious European nights that Anfield witnessed under Gerard Houllier and Rafael Benitez, who led the Reds to their fifth European Cup triumph in 2005.

Liverpool had reached the Champions League eight times in nine seasons but failed to qualify for five years before Brendan Rodgers led them to a second-place Premier League finish last season.

After a feverish build-up, Liverpool struggled to live up to the occasion in an underwhelming first half.

The hosts did not truly threaten until the 20-minute mark, when Balotelli expertly turned his marker only for his goalbound shot to be blocked, with Adam Lallana's follow-up drawing a save from Borjan.

Ludogorets, showing admirable composure on the ball for a side making their Champions League debut, had an appeal for a penalty turned down when Brazilian midfielder Marcelinho went down under a slight push from defender Dejan Lovren.

Mario Balotelli has scored in the Champions League for four different clubs

Moments later, a corner found defender Cosmin Moti at the near post, but he failed to make clean contact with a header.

Liverpool's breakthrough almost arrived before half-time, when the ball was worked swiftly from left to right by Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson to Lallana. But the former Southampton man hesitated before his shot was blocked.

The Premier League side's first clear sight of goal arrived soon after the break. Virgil Misidjan's slip allowed Henderson's pass to slide through to Manquillo but the Spanish right-back's dinked effort looped over the bar.

At the other end, Ludogorets right-back Junior Caicara fired a shot from distance that Mignolet had to dive full length to push aside.

Steven Gerrard on the spot Gerrard is Liverpool's record goalscorer in Europe with 40 goals in all competitions. The Liverpool captain is also the club's most prolific penalty taker; his effort against Ludogorets was his 44th successful penalty

And Liverpool had another scare when Gerrard allowed striker Roman Bezjak to drift in behind him from a throw-in and poke a shot, which sailed inches over the corner of post and crossbar.

With the hosts looking increasingly vulnerable, Rodgers brought on Fabio Borini for the ineffective Lallana, and the change almost brought an instant reward as Manquillo's cross picked out the Italian striker, whose header was tipped over by Borjan.

When Moreno sent over a similarly pinpoint delivery from the opposite flank, Henderson's flicked header drifted wide.

In between, Ludogorets wasted a golden opportunity to take the lead. Marcelinho threaded a pass through the legs of Mamadou Sakho to Bezjak, whose shot rolled agonisingly onto the foot of a post.

With the Anfield crowd contemplating the possibility of defeat, Balotelli transformed their mood.

Moreno's cross picked out the Italian - a £16m summer signing from AC Milan - and he controlled the ball and turned in a single movement before steering it into the net with the outside of his right foot.

The Ludogorets riposte was swift and devastating. Younes Hamza's through-ball found his fellow substitute Abalo, whose first touch took the ball past Mignolet before his second found the net.

But just when the visiting fans were celebrating what looked certain to be a point, Borjan's ill-judged lunge and Gerrard's unerring strike gave the home supporters the win they were craving.

Mario Balotelli's goal was his first since scoring for Italy against England in the summer's World Cup finals

Fabio Borini congratulates Javi Manquillo after he earns Liverpool's late penalty

Canada international Milan Borjan made his debut for Ludogorets after signing to solve a goalkeeper crisis

Summer signing Adam Lallana was starting his second game for Liverpool after recovering from a knee injury

Anfield welcomed back Champions League football for the first time since December 2009

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