Mario Balotelli: Liverpool 2 Ludogorets 1 - How did the striker perform for Brendan Rodgers’ team as the Champions League returned to Anfield?
Baffling or brilliant? Have your say and vote on the £16million Italian striker?
Saturday 20 September 2014 15:35, UK
It was an edgy evening for Liverpool after five years away from the European Cup and it took injury-time drama for minnows Ludogorets to be beaten on Merseyside.
Most of Anfield, and probably manager Brendan Rodgers, too, had probably anticipated an easier evening against their underdog opposition - regardless of an adapting, inexperienced, new-look squad. So why was it such a nervy night?
Mario Balotelli, the player with the third-highest number of UEFA Champions League appearances in Liverpool's squad, scored his first goal since his £16million arrival from AC Milan but Steven Gerrard’s injury-time penalty was later required to squeeze out Dani Abalo’s equaliser.
Were you impressed by Balotelli? Did the Italian drop too deep? Was the former Manchester City striker brilliant or baffling? We used Opta data to monitor his performance, plus you can have your say and vote below…
3RD MINUTE
As Liverpool make a fast-paced start, unlike their defeat by Aston Villa, Balotelli darts down the inside left channel and holds the ball up intelligently against Ludogorets defenders before winning a free-kick. Thirty seconds later, he picks up the ball deep, which will remain a trend for the match, and carries it into Ludogorets territory. But Adam Lallana is then offside.
16TH MINUTE
With his back to goal, Balotelli, again dropping deep, delicately lays the ball off to Philippe Coutinho with his first touch before spinning and sprinting into the box. However, Alberto Moreno over hits the cross. The lay-off is just Balotelli’s seventh touch of the game, with only Raheem Sterling (six) and Simon Mignolet (five) seeing less of the ball for the home team. Balotelli has won one of his three duels.
21ST MINUTE
Balotelli turns Ludogorets centre-back Cosmin Moti and darts into the penalty area but his shot, the first by any player in the game, is blocked by Alex Aleksandrov before Sterling is offside at the rebound. Balotelli has had nine touches and won 50 per cent of his four duels. At the same time, the Italian has played three successful passes. In the 23rd minute, Balotelli produces some good defensive work in his own half, taking the ball from Roman Bezjak before winning a foul.
34TH MINUTE
After collecting a pass from Coutinho, Balotelli carries the ball to the left of the Ludogorets penalty area before cutting back onto his right foot. He shoots from the edge of the area but Milan Borjan, Ludogorets’ third-choice goalkeeper, saves the skidding shot. In the 31st minute, Balotelli had received a word from referee Matej Jug for fouling Svetoslav Dyakov.
HALF-TIME
Balotelli touches the ball 22 times in the first half. He has 13 duels, a total only matched by team-mate Javier Manquillo, but wins only 46.2% (see below graphic). Liverpool’s No.45 also commits four fouls, more than any other player on the pitch. His tendency to drop deep also means he has only two shots, neither of which are on target.
55TH MINUTE
Ten minutes into the second half, Balotelli attempts a pass with the outside of his right foot into the Ludogorets penalty area. But the visitors intercept and break only for Virgil Misidjan to run the ball out of play. That pass brings Balotelli’s passing accuracy down to 85.5% from 16 attempts.
70TH MINUTE
