Daily Archives: September 17, 2014

• Steven Gerrard converts a penalty deep in added time to secure the Group B points
• Dani Abalo had only just equalised for the impressive Bulgarian debutants
• Mario Balotelli had hit what seemed to be the winner eight minutes from the end
• Roman Bezjak had hit the post not long before in a fine showing by the visitors
• Next fixtures: Basel v Liverpool, Ludogorets v Real Madrid (1 October)

Liverpool FC’s return to the UEFA Champions League after five years away ended in victory – but only just after a tremendous fight by debutants PFC Ludogorets Razgrad.

There was expectancy in the air before kick-off. Brendan Rodgers’ match programme talked of embracing a rich heritage, one perfectly illustrated by the Kop’s pre-match mosaic showing five European Cups. This is a new era, though. Liverpool’s lineup featured five players with no UEFA Champions League experience and they started slowly.

Of course, for every Ludogorets player this is a new adventure, not least goalkeeper Milan Borjan, the Canadian goalkeeper signed only a few days ago to deputise for the suspended Vladislav Stoyanov. He will have been grateful for Liverpool’s slow start and when they did find some attacking fluency it came only in fits and starts.

After 21 minutes Mario Balotelli turned his marker, Cosmi Moţi, but Aleksandar Aleksandrov got in the way of the ensuing shot and Borjan foiled Adam Lallana on the follow-up. Lallana had an even better chance eight minutes before the break after Coutinho sent Jordan Henderson bursting in the box.

The lively Ludogorets fans in the Anfield Road end will have been pleased by their team’s first 45 minutes of UEFA Champions League football – not least the confident touches of Marcelinho. The Liverpool crowd, meanwhile, saw the purposeful work of left-back Alberto Moreno, providing regular crosses from his flank.

As it was, their team’s first chance after the restart fell to their other Spanish full-back, Javier Manquillo but he lifted his shot over the bar. Ludogorets were making life awkward for their hosts and Marcelinho twice set up Roman Bezjak, once forcing Moreno to make a brilliant saving tackle.

That was the cue for Liverpool to go to the other end and strike. Moreno played a high ball into the Italian and he turned between two green shirts before finding the far corner of the Kop net. Borjan’s flying save stopped another Balotelli effort but it was in three added minutes that the real drama arrived.

Dani Abalo was played through by Younes Hamza and he confidently rounded Simon Mignol and slotted in to secure what seemed a memorable draw. But then Borjan brought down Manquillo after miscontrolling a back-pass and Steven Gerrard, naturally, made no mistake from the spot.

source:uefa.com

• Ciro Immobile marks UEFA Champions League debut with opening goal before half-time
• Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s fifth goal of the season makes it 2-0
• Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan both spurned opportunities at 0-0
• Next games: Arsenal v Galatasaray, Anderlecht v Dortmund

Goals either side of half-time from Ciro Immobile and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang earned a highly impressive victory for Dortmund at home to Arsenal.

Jürgen Klopp’s side made their intentions clear from the off, winning possession soon after kick-off and rarely losing it as the chances began to flow. It took until the stroke of half-time for Immobile to break the deadlock but Aubameyang doubled the advantage soon after the interval in a performance which will imbue the 2013 finalists with confidence.

Roared on by the ever-vociferous home crowd, Dortmund began with intensity, pressing their visitors and earning a string of early corners. One delivery was stabbed wide by Sokratis Papastathopoulos before the industrious Immobile dragged his first effort past the post.

As the pressure increased, it seemed a Dortmund breakthrough was inevitable. Yet as Aubameyang was denied from close range by Wojciech Szczęsny and Jack Wilshere stretched to prevent Henrikh Mkhitaryan from slamming in, it began to feel as though it might not be their night.

Those fears only worsened as Arsenal began to come out of their shell, with Danny Welbeck twice getting into good positions. Aubameyang and Immobile had each drawn saves from Szczęsny between times and the Italian striker’s hard work was rewarded with an outstanding opener, sprinting from his own half, holding off the challenges of Laurent Koscielny and Kieran Gibbs and slotting in his first competitive goal in a Dortmund shirt.

It was a deserved lead against an Arsenal side who had failed to muster a single shot on goal in the opening period and soon after the restart they were two behind. Arsène Wenger had barely retaken his seat by the time Kevin Grosskreutz had clipped a delightful ball through for Aubameyang, who bundled his way past Szczęsny before guiding the ball past the scrambling Koscielny and over the line.

Immobile brought a fine save from Szczęsny soon afterwards and Aubameyang then turned on the afterburners, racing past Koscielny with ease before grazing the bar. The Gabon international headed another chance wide and Mkhitaryan blazed over following another good break heading into the latter stages, but while the scoreline remained the same, Dortmund’s tally of 20 shots to Arsenal’s three told its own story.

source: uefa.com