Stoppage time penalty from Steven Gerrard hands Reds huge let off
Absence may make the heart grow fonder, but on a night when Liverpool finally returned to Europe after a painful hiatus, it also almost made it stop.
Liverpool’s return after a five year absence from this level started slowly, but it sure ended at a frenetic pace.
It was Balotelli who changed the course of the game with an incredible goal just eight minutes from time, as he seemed to have written another page in an startling story, when he held off two defenders to pirouette and smash the ball home, to lift the lid off this grand old stadium.
Yet Ludogorets were not prepared to play stooge to the Italian’s starring role, and incredibly, they equalised on the stroke of 90 minutes, when a fine through ball allowed substitute Dani Abalo to exposed the home defence with a cool finish.In the fourth minute of stoppage time so it proved, as the irrepressible full back Javier Manquillo charged into the box to be upended by the visiting keeper Milan Borjan, who had only arrived at the club five days ago.
Step forward Gerrard, the ice man from the spot, who converted with a casual ease that was never reflected in the almost psychotic Anfield crowd, to send them home deliriously happy.
Gunners can't handle Dortmund's high-intensity game
Borussia Dortmund outclassed Arsenal in every respect as their pace, movement and power was far too much for Wenger’s men to handle. They rarely got out of first gear and their defending was shambolic at times.
Arsenal, meanwhile, were wasteful in their finishing as Danny Welbeck missed a wonderful chance to open his account when it was still goalless.
The biggest disappointment of all was perhaps in Mesut Ozil as the £42m midfielder started on the right, did absolutely nothing, switched to the left and then moved to the centre. A player of his class must offer more on the big occasion and finally Wenger hooked him after 62 minutes.
From the start, it was backs to the wall stuff for Arsenal.Dortmund were playing clever triangles, passing their way through Arsenal’s defence and Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny were being stretched to the limit by the home side’s movement.
Immobile, looking anything but, ran from his own half, inexplicably Kieran Gibbs and Koscielny stood off him, the Dortmund striker then almost fell over his feet which actually deceived the two Arsenal defenders.
Italian striker Immobile then steered a perfect cross shot beyond Szczesny and into the far post to bring the stadium to life.
Dortmund came out for the second half with more energy, drive and determination. It took them just three minutes after the restart to get a second when Kevin Grosskreutz played a one-two and then released Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Aubameyang used his pace to race between Szczesny and Mertesacker and then steer the ball into the Arsenal net despite Koscielny’s best efforts on the line.
Aubameyang crashed a shot against the bar, Szczesny pushed a powerful shot over the bar from Immobile and Dortmund looked as if they would score again.
Arsenal simply had no answer as they tamely accepted their defeat. It was a truly bad night for Arsenal and should be a major wake-up call for a few of their under-performing players.
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