FULL TIME: Ludogorets 2-2 Liverpool
And that’s it. Liverpool end a sequence of three Champions League reverses in a row, and four losses on the bounce in all competitions, but this draw will feel like another defeat. “Another chuffing corner,” harumphs Matt Dony, which only registers a four on the Brendan Rodgers Fackin Hell O Meter™. But here’s the good news for Liverpool: they aren’t out of the Champions League. Real Madrid won in Basel, so a win for Brendan Rodgers side against the Swiss at Anfield will see them through. In that sense, the late equaliser changed nothing, though it does mean they’re yet to be guaranteed a minimum of Europa League participation in the new year. They’d have had that in the bag if they’d managed to hold on. Gotta love the Champions League!
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90 min +2: Liverpool are an abject shambles right now. Misidjan tears down the right and whips a low ball into the box. Skrtel just about deals with the clearance.
90 min +1: There will be three added minutes, and one of those has already elapsed.
90 min: A textbook FACKIN’ HELL from Brendan Rodgers on the touchline there. Ten out of ten for that instant response, delivered as he was spinning on his heels in impotent frustration.
GOAL!!! Ludogorets 2-2 Liverpool (Terziev 88)
Shouts for a Ludogorets penalty as Hamza lifts a ball onto Allen’s hand from close range. The referee isn’t having any of it. But no matter. It’s a corner down the right. The ball’s zipped to the near post, where Dyakov heads on. And at the far post, Terziev batters a header home from six yards!
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86 min: A hopeful ball’s hoicked into the Liverpool area down the left. Manquillo, disoriented and without a shout, needlessly heads out for a corner. Chance for the home side to pile on the pressure. Wanderson whips the ball to the near post, where Gerrard springs into a diving header. The ball is dispatched up to the halfway line. He’s been very good tonight, all in all, has the under-fire Liverpool captain. Playing higher up the field suits him, huh?
84 min: Liverpool keep hold of the ball awhile down the left, Moreno and Lambert doing what they can. They don’t attack much, but that’s not really the point, and the clock’s ticking down.
82 min: Moreno comes on for Sterling, who has been excellent despite clearly needing a rest. Give the young man a couple of weeks off, as reward for his staunch display!
81 min: Fabio Espinho is replaced by Hamza. Then, suddenly, Sterling is sprung free down the inside-left channel by a clever Gerrard pass! He’s one on one with the keeper, opens his body, aims for the bottom right, and sees his effort smothered. And up the other end, Junior Quixada drifts in from the right and lets rip, his low shot always heading right of the target. It’s all happening.
80 min: Liverpool have decided to sit back and soak up the pressure. Two banks of four. It’s like Ged and Rafa never went away. They’re keeping Ludogorets at arm’s length right now.
77 min: A corner for Liverpool down the left. Gerrard tries to flick on at the near post, and there’s a shout for hand ball, but the ball clattered Marcelino flush in his startled coupon, and the referee’s having none of it.
75 min: Sterling magnificently controls a high ball down the left touchline, then nearly releases Henderson into the area with a clever siderule pass. The pass was probably a little too weak, but Henderson was rocking back on his heels, and so we’ll never know for sure. Fine play by the excellent Sterling.
73 min: Ludogorets turn it up a notch. Marcelinho, down the inside-left channel, takes a shot towards the bottom right from 20 yards. It’s deflected out for a corner, which leads to another corner. And then Junior Quixada has a lash from distance, but his effort bounces apologetically wide right of goal. Amid this little burst of activity, Wanderson came on for Alexandrov.
71 min: Alexandrov goes on a fast-paced saunter down the left, and nearly breaks clear into the area. Liverpool clear, and break upfield through Sterling, who sashays at speed down the middle. The ball’s fed left to Gerrard, who lays off for Henderson down the left. Henderson shoots low but not particularly hard, and Stoyanov scoops the ball away from the bottom-left corner.
70 min: A drop in tempo, and atmosphere. Liverpool will be more than happy with this. The home side haven’t threatened at all in this second half.
69 min: Dani Abalo, who gave the home side the lead 66 minutes ago, is replaced by Junior Quixada.
67 min: Lambert rakes a long ball down the right, and Gerrard, rolling back the years, chases it down and nearly overpowers Terziev. He can’t quite break into the area. But Liverpool are in the ascendency right now.
66 min: Liverpool are knocking it around the back in the old 1980s style. A semblance of control which has been lacking in their play of late. An improvement.
63 min: Sterling and Allen busy themselves down the left in the 2013-14 style, and their pressing pays dividends. Sterling breaks into the area, twists and turns, and dinks a ball towards the far post for Lambert, whose diving header is blocked on the edge of the six yard line. The ball breaks to Henderson, who balloons over for three rugby points, one of the most ludicrous misses of all time. Thankfully, to save his blushes, the goal wouldn’t have counted anyway, as Henderson had clattered into Stoyanov seconds before. What high jinks. But that was lovely wingplay by Sterling, and a return to the high-tempo style of last season. And look, nearly a goal. Hmm. A lesson in positivity there for Liverpool.
61 min: Henderson lightly tugs Misidjan’s shirt as the Ludogorets flyer makes off down the inside-left channel. A light tug maybe, but a free kick nonetheless. Fabio Espinho takes the set piece, and in looking for the top-left corner, whips the ball well over the bar, Mignolet behind it all the way.
60 min: Sterling is back down again, having clearly felt the effect of that crunching Moti challenge. It was a totally fair slide, albeit one from the old school. After another medicinal moment, he limps back into action again. The man needs a rest, a few weeks off. And yet he’s still been Liverpool’s best player tonight.
58 min: Lambert slides a ball down the inside right for Sterling, who is comprehensively clattered on the edge of the box by Moti. It’s a brilliant challenge, Moti racing off with the ball and leaving Sterling rolling around on the floor feeling rather sorry for himself. He gets up gingerly after taking a small rest for medical purposes.
56 min: Sterling is taken down in unceremonious fashion by the flailing leg of Junior Caicara. Gerrard’s free kick, 35 yards out down the left wing, flies straight down Stoyanov’s throat. This match has been dreadful since the restart.
54 min: Suddenly, after a period of Ludogorets possession, Marcelino threads a ball down the inside-left channel with a view to releasing Minev into the area. Just a bit too much on the pass. A smarter ball, and Liverpool were in a spot of bother there.
51 min: The Champions League, right here.
48 min: This half hasn’t really started yet.
The official Guardian Key Event second-half kick-off event
So it’s all gone smoothly, kind of, for Liverpool so far. They’re winning the game they really need to win, and the other one’s going their way too: a 35th-minute Cristiano Ronaldo goal gave Real Madrid the half-time lead at Basel. Ludogorets get the ball rolling again. Can they hold on to win their first game since knocking Swansea out of the League Cup? The early signs aren’t particularly promising, Alexandrov making good down the left and crossing deep, Abalo taking a fresh-air swipe at the dropping ball from ten yards.
Half-time repast:
HALF TIME: Ludogorets 1-2 Liverpool
Lambert fires a pass down the right to release Henderson into acres. Or at least Henderson would be in acres, were he not rocking back on his heels, thinking about tying his shoelaces. But let’s not be too hard on Henderson, who has put his side into the lead here. A rather fortunate lead on the balance of play, but then if nothing else, a scrappy Liverpool have at least shown grit and determination to claw their way back into this after the blow of losing an early goal. The second half should be interesting, if nothing else.
44 min: Junior Caicara romps down the right, reaches the byline, and whips a low ball into the box. Mignolet collects. This half is petering out a tad.
43 min: Ludogorets’s passing isn’t quite as crisp and accurate as it has been. A crossfield effort here flying out of play at high velocity and nearly taking poor Misidjan’s eyebrows off as he attempts to keep it in down the left. But can you blame them? They must be wondering how they’re losing this game.
41 min: Gerrard plays a clever first-time pass round the corner and down the inside-right channel to release Lambert, who attempts to belt a diagonal stunner into the top left from 35 yards. One strongly suspects he spotted the offside flag going up in the corner of his eye. The shot, let the record state, just about stays in the stadium.
39 min: A long Marcelinho shot twangs off Skrtel and loops out for a corner. Fortunately for Liverpool, the home side’s set pieces have been uniformly appalling so far, and they clear.
GOAL!!! Ludogorets 1-2 Liverpool (Henderson 37)
And out of nothing, Liverpool take the lead! The home side give the ball away, allowing Sterling to scamper down the left. Sterling curls a delicious low cross through the area towards the far post, where Henderson awaits to guide the ball past a flailing Stoyanov and into the net. How on earth are Liverpool winning this?
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36 min: This is getting pretty scrappy now. Lucas whacks Dyakov upside the head as the pair contest a high ball. Still no caution.
35 min: Fabio Espinho flips Sterling into the air. He escapes a booking. Fair enough, as a few minutes earlier, Gerrard had clattered into Marcelino in a fit of pique and frustration as the Ludogorets midfielder shielded the ball. No yellow there either.
33 min: Manquillo at fault a little here, though, as his poor clearing header only makes it as far as Dyakov, 30 yards out down the inside-left channel. Dyakov takes a stride, before being hauled back by Lucas. Free kick, which is taken by Misidjan. His shot bounces in front of Mignolet, rears up, and nearly batters the hapless keeper in the face. To be fair to Mignolet, he reacts well and keeps hold of the ball, but he’s not a keeper who inspires confidence. Hearts in mouths for Liverpool.
30 min: Manquillo, who effectively won the game at Anfield for Liverpool, works away down the right. His cross aimed for Lambert is cleared, but not particularly well, and the young right-back reclaims possession on the right-hand edge of the Ludogorets area. He takes a whack which moves left and then right in the air, and is swallowed by Stoyanov before it can worm its way into the bottom-right corner. It’s not exactly sparkling football, but the young man is showing determination and energy, and dearie me but do Liverpool need quite a bit more of all that.
28 min: A bit of space for Sterling as he wins the ball well off Fabio Espinho near the centre circle and tears off down the middle. He’s got time to shoot, but an explosion of sand suggests a strike that’s not particularly clean. The ball flying many yards off to the right of goal certainly does.
26 min: Henderson’s ball into the Ludogorets box from the right causes Moti and Terziev a little confusion, and it’ll be a corner out on the left. Liverpool can do nothing with it. But they’re up the right end of the pitch, so small acorns and all they represent.
25 min: Sterling clatters into Junior Caicara down the right. A chance for the home side to pump a free kick into the area, level with the edge of the Liverpool box. The set piece is whipped into the mixer. Mignolet comes off his line to punch clear, and misses spectacularly. Dani Abalo gets a head to the ball, eight yards out, but can’t connect properly to guide the ball into the unguarded net. A let-off for Liverpool. Another let-off for Liverpool.
23 min: It’s all Ludogorets. Liverpool can’t keep hold of the ball at all right now. One pass in a row is suddenly a pipe dream.
21 min: Liverpool are beginning to rock. A run down the right by Junior Caicara. His low ball is fizzed into the six-yard box. It’s intercepted by Toure, who very nearly steers the ball into his own net, but the ball misses the bottom-right corner by a couple of inches. To be fair to Toure, he does have to deal with that big cartoon question mark constantly hovering above his head. A couple of corners in a row, which Liverpool just about deal with. But another Ludogorets goal looks more likely than not right now.
19 min: Another corner for Ludogorets, Abalo and Misidjan combining in the Liverpool 2013-14 style down the inside-left channel. Skrtel’s all confused. Gerrard heads the set piece powerfully upfield.
17 min: The home side are beginning to get the upper hand again. Abalo earns a corner off Johnson down the right. The corner’s fired 30 yards back out to Dyakov, who wafts a terrible ball straight into the hands of Mignolet, who kept hold of it.
15 min: A decent half-chance for Minev, who is found in space in the left-hand side of the Liverpool box by a slide-rule pass down the channel from Misidjan. Luckily for Liverpool, who have once again renounced defending, Minev’s attempt to curl a spectacular one into the top-right corner is all out of whack. Liverpool’s defence, though.
13 min: Liverpool have settled a wee bit after that godawful start. They’re enjoying the lion’s share of the ball, pinging it around the middle, trying to regulate their breathing as they do so. They’re not really going anywhere, but that’s not the point, and Liverpool’s ball-hogging is silencing the crowd.
11 min: Johnson has been dismal for the best part of the calendar year, but he’s not hiding tonight. Another run down the left, fed into space by Gerrard. He doesn’t have too much space, though, and can only squirt a cross into the box and the hands of Stoyanov.
9 min: Misidjan wins a corner with a run down the right and a low shot-cum-cross, but the set piece comes to nothing. This is an entertaining start all right, if not a particularly high-quality one.
GOAL!!! Ludogorets 1-1 Liverpool (Lambert 8)
This is a farcical one, too. Utterly ludicrous. The ball’s lumped straight down the middle by Gerrard. Lambert attempts to win a header, level with the right-hand post, ten yards out. He misses. Minev should deal, but astonishingly allows the ball to bounce and rise so Lambert can dink a slow-motion header over Stoyanov and into the top left-hand corner. That’s a very silly goal, but Liverpool won’t mind. Could Lambert be the answer to their problems? Things are beginning to happen for him in a Liverpool shirt!
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5 min: On the touchline, Brendan Rodgers looks stunned. He’s made a few mistakes during his reign, yes, but there’s no accounting for basic goalkeeping errors. Liverpool try to clear their heads by passing it around a bit. Sterling picks up possession 20 yards out, but his shot is blocked pretty much the nanosecond it leaves his boot.
GOAL!!! Ludogorets 1-0 Liverpool (Abalo 3)
Johnson is nearly fed into space on the overlap down the left. But the home side snaffle the ball easily enough. They romp up the other end, Fabio Espinho thinking about a shot to the left of the Liverpool D. Toure sticks out a leg to clear, but the ball only reaches Marcelinho, 30 yards out. Marcelinho takes a shot, aiming for the bottom left. It’s not a particularly good effort, but it’s enough to confuse the dismal Mignolet, who can only parry the soft shot into the path of Abalo. The striker bundles into the goal from a couple of yards. A small bobble on Marcelinho’s shot, but he should be dealing with that.
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The official Guardian Key Event kick-off event!
Handshakes have been performed in the modern ‘clasp’ style. Pennants and pleasantries have been exchanged. Coins have been tossed. And we’re off! Liverpool get the ball rolling. The direction of their entire season could feasibly hinge on this. They romp forward with purpose from the kick-off, as they so often did last season, but the move breaks down within seconds. The only way is up for a side lacking on confidence.
The teams are out! Ludogorets are in their crisp green garb. Liverpool are tip to toe in their famous red. The pitch is perfect, the temperature below zero, the music an awful jiggering of Zadok the Priest.
As for the permutations in Group B ... ay ay ay. Any loser tonight will be eliminated if Real Madrid fail to win in Basel. That’s as clear-cut as it gets. A Liverpool win keeps Brendan Rodgers’ side very much alive; they’d then need to beat Basel at Anfield in their final group game, perhaps by a couple of goals depending on Swiss antics tonight against the reigning champions. A Liverpool draw won’t be enough to remain in the competition if Basel beat Real. As for a Liverpool defeat ... well, they’d need Real Madrid to win tonight for a start. Then they’d be looking at Real beating Ludogorets in the final game, winning against Basel themselves, and totting up the goal difference in a three-team mini-league sans Real. And if I could give you back the last 30 seconds of your life, I promise you I’d do it, even if it required the moving of mountains. It’s the least you deserve.
Steven Gerrard’s still got a starting berth, you’ll notice. Just making small chat. “Andy Hunter was making the point in the earlier web-chat that Gerrard was still undroppable, not because of any loyalty to the faded star, but because there was no-one better,” writes Simon McGrother. “However I think that Can, Lucas, Henderson, etc. are all having to play around this vortex of uselessness and it is sucking their confidence and stifling their development. Gerrard needs a few games on the bench to let the other midfielders play together and find their way. I’m not convinced by them, but I am convinced that it won’t make matters any worse. Gerrard can also still be an impact sub.”
As for Glen Johnson ... dear me.
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Dramatis personæ
Ludogorets, who won their last home game 1-0 against Basel, home in Europe being 400km from Razgrad at the Natsionalen Stadion Vasil Levski in Sofia: Stoyanov, Junior Caicara, Moti, Terziev, Minev, Misidjan, Dyakov, Fabio Espinho, Mihail Aleksandrov, Marcelinho, Dani Abalo.
Subs: Borjan, Barthe, Quixada, Abel, Aleksandar Aleksandrov, Wanderson, Younes.
Liverpool, who have won three of their four competitive matches in Bulgaria, the sole defeat being a 2-0 trophy-divesting reverse in the 1981-82 European Cup at CSKA Sofia: Mignolet, Johnson, Skrtel, Toure, Manquillo, Henderson, Gerrard, Lucas, Lambert, Allen, Sterling.
Subs: Brad Jones, Lovren, Coutinho, Moreno, Lallana, Can, Borini.
Referee: Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz (Spain)
Liverpool need to get their act together. That’s pretty much the long and short of it. It’s on!
Kick off: 9.45pm in Razgrad, Bulgaria, 7.45pm back on Merseyside.
