Paris: Steven Gerrard was Liverpool’s hero with a stoppage-time penalty as the Reds marked their return to the Champions League with a win, while Arsenal endured a torrid evening against Borussia Dortmund.
Gerrard struck from the spot right at the death to hand Liverpool a 2-1 win in their Group B opener against an awkward Ludogorets Razgrad at Anfield on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, goals just either side of half-time by Ciro Immobile and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave 2013 runners-up Dortmund a 2-0 win against Arsenal in Germany in Group D, and the hosts were unlucky not to win by more.
Brendan Rodgers’s side laboured for long spells but when Mario Balotelli put them in front in the 82nd minute to open his Anfield account, they appeared to have the job done.
Spanish substitute Dani Abalo stunned the hosts when he equalised in the first minute of stoppage time, but there was to be another twist as Javi Manquillo was fouled inside the box, allowing Gerrard, so often a scorer of crucial late goals in the past, to convert a 93rd-minute spot-kick.
Arsenal were torn apart by a typically high-octane Dortmund performance at the Westfalenstadion. The hosts had 15 attempts on goal in the opening half but had to wait until the 45th minute to get the breakthrough when Immobile ran 60 yards before slotting past Wojciech Szczesny.
Aubameyang then exchanged passes with Kevin Grosskreutz before rounding the goalkeeper and making it 2-0 in the 48th minute, and the Gabon striker hit the bar soon after as Arsenal lost their opening Champions League game for the first time in 11 years.
Elsewhere in Group A, Juventus eased to a 2-0 victory over Malmo in Turin thanks to a brace by Carlos Tevez.
In Group C, Benfica were undone by their old nemesis Andre Villas-Boas, the former Porto coach taking his Zenit St Petersburg side to Lisbon and coming away with a 2-0 win.
Monaco also started with a win, Joao Moutinho’s second-half strike securing a 1-0 victory at home to Bayer Leverkusen.
The pick of the ties on Wednesday sees Bayern Munich host Manchester City in Group E. (AFP)
