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