Summary

  • Balotelli scores first goal of Liverpool career

  • Result: Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Arsenal

  • Bale, Ronaldo & Rodriguez score for Real

  • Full Football League programme

  • Click 'Live Coverage' tab for 5 live commentary of Brentford v Norwich

Live Reporting

Tom Rostance

  1. Robbie Savage
    5 live Sport

    "Arsenal desperately need a defensive central midfielder. Per Mertesacker was exposed and Mikel Arteta can't run - the pair of them have no pace."

  2. Elsewhere in Europe

    Liverpool's Group B rivals Real Madrid kicked off their Champions League title defence with a 5-1 win at home to Basel, Karim Benzema grabbing a late fifth for the Spanish side.

    Elsewhere, Carlos Tevez scored twice as Italian champions Juventus beat Malmo 2-0 in Group A, where Olympiakos also won as they beat Atletico Madrid 3-2, on-loan Fulham striker Kostas Mitroglou scoring the decisive third for the Greek side.

    Two first-half goals were enough to give Zenit victory at 10-man Benfica, Monaco edged Leverkusen 1-0 and Galatasaray shared a 1-1 draw with Anderlecht.

  3. Player reaction

    Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard: "We did OK but it wasn't better than OK. There's a lot to learn, we were caused problems on the counter-attack. You have to give Mario Balotelli credit, it didn't go his way for long periods but the sign of a good goalscorer is to keep going and get a chance. What's more important is his work rate.

    "If we win in Basel now it puts us in a good position but we must do better."

    Liverpool's Steven Gerrard celebrates after scoring a penaltyReuters

  4. Join the debate at #bbcfootball

    Anina M: Yes! Not pretty but a Liverpool win! My poor nerves can't handle both weekend and midweek matches!

    Demola Oke: Liverpool didn't deserve that lifeline...

    Lee Pickrell: Liverpool... name on the cup, already.

  5. It's a bit late to ask this now - but should Arsenal have signed a big wrecking ball of a defensive midfielder? Mikel Arteta is not the answer in that role against pace.

  6. John Hartson
    in Dortmund for 5 live Sport

    "A decisive moment in the game came just before half-time, when Danny Welbeck pulled his excellent chance just wide of the post. Score that and Arsenal gain in confidence, but after that miss they just wilted. Dortmund looked much sharper in front of goal, and though it was 2-0 it could easily have been four or five, in all honesty."

  7. A collective sigh of relief as Steven Gerrard once more rescues Liverpool in the Champions League. Well played Razgrad, who give that a real go.

  8. FULL-TIME

  9. Into the fourth and final minute of added time...

  10. FULL-TIME

    John Hartson
    in Dortmund for 5 live Sport

    "Arsenal have been well beaten. There were 22 attempts on goal from Dortmund to Arsenal's four, and that tells the story really."

  11. FULL-TIME

    A dejected Wojciech Szczesny of Arsenal walks off the pitchGetty Images

  12. GOAL

    What a let-off for Liverpool! I'm not sure how much contact there was on Javi Manquillo to be honest, but Steven Gerrard slots it home with ease. His 40th goal in Europe.

    Steven Gerrard scores a penalty in injury timeGetty Images
    Steven Gerrard of Liverpool celebratesGetty Images

  13. PENALTY TO LIVERPOOL

    Incredible! Another goalkeeping error as Milan Borjan miscontrols and then trips Javi Manquillo...

    Fabio Borini of Liverpool tends to Javi Manquillo of Liverpool after he was brought down for a penaltyGetty Images

  14. GOAL

    Well I never! Raheem Sterling is almost in at one end and seconds later Liverpool are pegged back. Younes Hamza slides a cracking pass in behind, fellow sub Dani Abalo gets on to it, skips around Simon Mignolet and then fires into the net.

    Once more a goalkeeper caught out sweeping high up the pitch. Stay on your line...

    Ludogorets' Dani Abalo celebrates with teammate Mihail AleksandrovReuters

  15. Text us on 81111

    Ade in Largs: Re Richard (20:06) I'm colourblind too and share your pain; the match at Anfield worst ever Champions' League gamefor me, I simply cannot tell the teams apart...

    John: Mario Balotelli has done nothing all game, then comes up with that! Tonight's performance just sums him up perfectly!

    William from London: I can't see many of Europe's finest being worried by a trip to Anfield this season...

  16. Arsenal have done well to keep this down to 2-0. Completely undone by Dortmund tonight.

  17. Top-of-the-table Burton Albion now trail 3-0 at AFC Wimbledon with Adebayo Akinfenwa netting his second of the game to add to Matt Tubbs' opener.

    Fifth-place Cheltenham Town suffered their first defeat of the season at the weekend and look set to suffer their second at the hands of Southend. Conor Clifford has fired in a right-foot shot for the visitors at Whaddon Road and the hosts are down to ten men.

    Charlie Wyke may have scored first goal of the evening in the Football League to give Hartlepool the lead against Northampton after just one minute, but they now trail 5-1 after braces for Marc Richards and Kaid Mohamed, plus a goal from Lawson D'Ath.

  18. This is as ragged a defensive display as you will see in the Champions League, but my word Dortmund have some pace in this side. Marco Reus to come in too!

  19. Join the debate at #bbcfootball

    Elliott Jenkin: It is always him, to be fair...

    LudaChris: Luckypool are back!

    James Stevenson: Boy did Liverpool need that. No Suarez to save them now but Super Mario may just have saved them from an embarrassing result.

  20. Great hit again from Mario Balotelli as he thumps a shot on target from 20 yards. The ultimate confidence player.