Good evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's crucial Champions League Group B clash between Ludogorets Razgrad and Liverpool at Stadion Vasil Levski. Either side could be eliminated from the competition this evening, making this a must-win encounter for both teams, so we should have an entertaining game on our hands tonight. Let's start with a look at the hosts...

The Bulgarian champions arrived in Europe as something of an unknown quantity this season, and not many people gave them any hope of getting anything from what is a very tough Champions League group. However, they have impressed in three of their four matches so far, and Liverpool will know that they are not in for an easy time of things tonight against a side that has already proven they are tough to beat.

While their performance levels have been higher than expected, they do still set bottom of Group B, and this is a must-win match for them even more than it is for Liverpool. Anything other than victory would see Ludogorets eliminated from Europe altogether, with no chance of even making the Europe league due to what would be an inferior head to head record, while a draw or a Basel victory against Real Madrid would rule out the possibility of progressing to the knockout rounds of the Champions League.

Very few people would have expected them to do that anyway, but they could realistically be quite a bit better off than they are in Group B. Their opening match against Liverpool almost saw them sneak a point at Anfield, while they stunned the continent by taking the lead against reigning champions Real Madrid on matchday two. Victory over Basel followed before they succumbed to their first comprehensive defeat of the campaign as the Swiss champions ran out 4-0 winners in the return leg.

They certainly haven't been whipping boys as was expected, then, but they can't have too many complaints at sitting joint bottom of the group either. They have the worst defence in Group B having conceded eight goals in their four matches so far, while they have only managed to score three at the other end. That is in stark contrast to their domestic record, where only league leaders CSKA Sofia have scored more and conceded fewer.

Ludogorets are sitting second in the Bulgarian top flight as things stand following their 1-1 draw against CSKA Sofia on Saturday. That was a feisty game that saw both sides reduced to 10 men, with Ludogorets having their man sent off after just 14 minutes. They still managed to come from behind and draw, though, leaving them five points off top but four clear of third. They are, however, five points worse off than they were at the same stage of last season.

Many of their matches have, of course, come in the Bulgarian league, which is not of the highest quality, but Ludogorets still come into this game in decent form. They have only lost one of their last eight matches in all competitions since the 2-1 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid, with that loss coming at the hands of Basel in their most recent Champions League outing. They have won five of those games, with just two draws, so they are certainly in the habit of winning matches.

That is particularly true when it comes to their home matches, although they may not regard the Stadion Vasil Levski and home. The stadium is 400km away from Razgrad, with the Ludogorets Arena not fulfilling UEFA's requirements. Even so, they beat Basel here earlier in the season and Real Madrid are the only visiting team to beat Ludogorets at 'home' in the last 21 matches. They have won nine of their 13 home games this season, including their last four in a row, and have kept four clean sheets in their last five.

They will certainly not be pushovers tonight then, and they will fancy their chances of getting something against a Liverpool side unrecognisable to the one that ran riot last season. The Reds are in woeful form coming into this match as they continue to reach the high standards they set themselves in the previous campaign, and it could well be the case that their Champions League return is over at the first hurdle tonight.

Things went from bad to worse for Liverpool on Sunday as they squandered an early lead to fall to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace, who themselves were in poor form and had dropped into the relegation zone on the Saturday. Rickie Lambert opened his account for the club after just 90 seconds, but the Reds failed to build on that and slumped to a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions.

Defeat to Real Madrid last time out - albeit narrowly at the Bernabeu when many expected them to get thumped - left them level with Ludogorets on three points from their four matches in the group so far, although their position is a little more positive than their opponents' tonight. They have to match or better Basel's result against Real Madrid in the night's other game, and would then have to beat Basel at Anfield in the final game.

The major concern for Rodgers will be goals, both domestically and in Europe. Liverpool have not scored since Gerrard's late penalty won them the opening fixture, with consecutive blanks drawn in defeats to Basel and Madrid (twice). They last went four games without scoring in the Champions League in 2005-06, while they have never lost four consecutive matches in the same season in Europe's elite competition. Those would be unwanted records for Rodgers tonight.

Domestically they are languishing in 12th in the Premier League at the moment, with just four wins from their opening 12 fixtures. They are now five points off the top four and already a whopping 18 behind runaway leaders Chelsea - an embarrassing total for a team that performed so well last season. They have lost six Premier League matches now following the defeat to Crystal Palace at the weekend, which is the same number they lost throughout the entirety of last term.

They come into this game having lost four games on the bounce in all competitions for the first time since 2008-09, but another defeat this evening would have people flicking much further back into the record books. They have not lost five in a row since way back in 1953, before the great Bill Shankly took the reins and began turning them into a major force both domestically and abroad.

Unsurprisingly with such dreadful form, the Reds have not been impressive on their travels so far this season. They have lost both of their Champions League games on the road, to Basel and Real Madrid, and overall have lost five of their last six away matches in all competitions. That comes despite boasting the best away record in the Premier League last season - another example of how short the Reds are fallen from the standards they set themselves in the previous campaign.

TEAM NEWS: The teams are in for both sides, and the headline news is that Steven Gerrard starts despite speculation that the skipper could be rested for this match. Rodgers does make three changes to his side, with Henderson, Lucas and Toure coming in, which means Lambert once again leads the line. Ludogorets, meanwhile, make just the one switch as Aleksandrov comes into the side. Full teams for both sides coming right up...

LUDOGORETS STARTING XI: Stoyanov, Minev, Moti, Terziev, Caicara, Alexandrov, Espinho, Abalo, Dyakov, Marcelinho, Misidjan

LUDOGORETS SUBS: Borjan, Barthe, Aleksandrov, Anicet, Wanderson, Quixada, Hamza

LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Mignolet; Manquillo, Skrtel, Toure, Johnson; Lucas, Allen, Henderson, Gerrard, Sterling; Lambert

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Jones, Lovren, Coutinho, Moreno, Lallana, Borini, Can

What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, starting with the hosts, the man to watch for them is Dani Abalo, who once again leads the line tonight. The Spaniard has scored four goals in his last five league games and also found the back of the net in the reverse fixture at Anfield on matchday one. Liverpool will hope that they have learned their lesson of how to deal with him from that game, but the striker will be full of confidence going into this match.

Marcelinho will also be a threat in behind the striker, while Espinho will look to keep up his own good form having scored the equalising goal against CSKA Sofia in their match at the weekend. Misidjan was the man sent off early for Ludogorets in that game, but he is once again included from the start tonight as Dermendzhiev makes just the one change - bringing Aleksandrov in for Younes, who drops to the bench.

Liverpool, meanwhile, make three changes, but interestingly one of them isn't Steven Gerrard. The captain has come under a lot of criticism for his performances this season, but the manager and his teammates have stood by him throughout. He certainly hasn't been at his best, but that is largely influenced by the poor performance of the entire team as well. It looks like he will play in a slightly more advanced role tonight, with Allen and Henderson the two holding midfielders.

There is just the one change at the back from Rodgers as he welcomes Toure into the side. The veteran defender was impressive against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu but has been left out of the side since them, with Lovren preferred. The summer signing has now dropped to the bench tonight, although the rest of the back four remains the same. That means that Johnson will once again play at left-back, with Moreno on the bench.

In goal, Mignolet is another player who has received a lot of criticism this season, with the general consensus being that he isn't good enough to play for a top side. Liverpool have been linked with the likes of Victor Valdes and Petr Cech recently, and a bit of competition could do wonders for Mignolet, who certainly has not be absolved of blame when it comes to Liverpool's dreadful form so far this season.

At the other end of the field, Raheem Sterling has gone off the boil following a bright start to the campaign, with the youngster struggling to find his best form. There is a lot of pressure on his young shoulders and he has played a lot of games over the last year or so, so slumps like this must be expected with him. He has not been helped at all by the injury to Sturridge and sale of Luis Suarez as now defences can focus more attention on him and deal with him more effectively.

Up front, Lambert is once again preferred to Borini in place of the injured Balotelli, who didn't travel with the squad having also missed the match against Palace at the weekend. Lambert opened his Liverpool account after just 90 seconds in that match, which would have been a big weight off his shoulders. However, he didn't do much after that quick start as Liverpool managed just one shot on target all game and will need to pose a bit more of a threat tonight.

PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes from kickoff in Sofia, which means that it is time for a prediction! Before the season began, this would have been down as a definite Liverpool win, but Ludogorets have been better than many expected while Liverpool have been a lot worse than anticipated. As a result, it wouldn't be a shock if the hosts were to get something out of this game today. The win they need would be a big ask, but I'm backing them to get at least a point tonight. I'll go for 1-1.

This is actually Ludogorets' first home match English opposition before, with their only previous competitive meeting coming the reverse fixture at Anfield in September. Liverpool, meanwhile, have won three of their four games in Bulgaria, with the only exception being a 2-0 defeat to CSKA Sofia in the quarter-finals of the 1981-82 European Cup, when Liverpool were defending champions. The Reds won 1-0 at Anfield but were eliminated on aggregate.

Despite their poor Champions League campaign so far, there is still hope for Liverpool. They found themselves in an identical position during the second group stage of the competitions in 2001-02, with three points from four games, yet managed to qualify as runners-up with seven points overall, In all six clubs have progressed from the groups having amassed three points or fewer from their opening four games.

A victory for Liverpool tonight would keep things in their own hands, but anything else and they would be reliant on Basel's result against already-qualified Real Madrid. That match could also have a make-or-break impact for Ludogorets, so I will be keeping a close eye on proceedings in Switzerland keeping you updates with any major events. Indeed, you can also find live commentary of that match by clicking here.

That is, of course, not the only match we have on offer for you tonight. All of the Champions League games are being covered in depth, while I will also keep you updated with major events from around Europe as and when they happen. The main focus will be on Sofia, though, where Ludogorets and Liverpool are both just about ready to get started!

KICKOFF: Gerrard and Lambert get us underway in a freezing Bulgaria as they look to put an end to their terrible recent run of form. Can they stay in the competition, or will their Champions League dream end tonight?

It was Liverpool who made the bright start at the weekend, but they are behind within three minutes here! They had actually begun fairly well until Ludogorets broke. Toure 's attempted clearance is poor and falls to Marcelinho, whose long-range effort is straight at Mignolet. It bounces in front of the keeper, but he still really should hold on. Instead, he spills it straight to Abalo, who slots home the rebound. What a nightmare start for Liverpool.

That is two in two games for Abalo against Liverpool, but he owes Mignolet a lot of thanks. Toure certainly could have done better initially, but Mignolet takes the blame with a dreadful piece of goalkeeping. This is a huge test for Liverpool now, how will they respond?

UPDATE: There was an even earlier goal in the game involving the other English team in action tonight, but Arsenal are faring better in North London than Liverpool are in Sofia. Yaya Sanogo has given them a second-minute lead against Dortmund at the Emirates.

Liverpool hit straight back within five minutes to level things up! It is another absolute gift as Moti allows the ball to bounce in his own area, thinking that his keeper is coming for it. He doesn't and Lambert sneaks in to nod the ball into the far corner. Another early goal for the striker, and an important goal for Liverpool.

Moti looks to make amends for his error there at the other end of the field as he gets his head onto a corner, but despite getting a good connection on it he can't steer his effort on target.

What an opening 10 minutes we have had here in Sofia. Both sides have capitalised on dreadful defensive errors to find the back of the net, and it could be the sort of night where the side that makes the fewest mistakes wins.

As expected, Gerrard has started this match in an advanced position, and he has seen a fair amount of the ball there already. It is a good idea from Rodgers to switch his position around a little as teams were beginning to shackle him in the deep-lying playmaker role, limiting his influence on the game.

Things have quietened down a little in the last five minutes or so. Both sides have seen a decent amount of the ball without really creating a chance since the goals. Minev has a small sight of goal here as he is found in space inside the box, but his curling effort is a long way wide.

UPDATE: Atletico Madrid have opened the scoring in their match against Olympiacos, with Raul Garcia opening the scoring at the Vicente Calderon.

Lovely football from the hosts as Abalo races on to a long ball over the top, getting behind the defence before playing a lovely back-heel to Misidjan. The winger opens his body and tries to curl an effort goalwards, but Toure gets an important block in.

CLOSE! Ludogorets get in behind the defence again, this time down the right side, and it almost results in an own goal. The low cross arrives into a dangerous area and Toure gets there before his keeper, poking the ball narrowly past his own near post for a corner.

It is Ludogorets who are on top right now, looking dangerous every time they come forward as Liverpool's defence struggle to deal with them. The hosts look most likely to get the next goal as things stand.

One of the features of Liverpool last season was their willingness to push on and hurt teams further shortly after scoring. When they smelt blood, they really took full advantage of it. That has not been the case here tonight, however, nor was it the case on Sunday when they took the lead early against Crystal Palace. They are just lacking that intensity at the moment, for whatever reason.

Unconvincing yet again from Mignolet as he comes to meet a free kick but gets nowhere near it. Ludogorets can't turn it into the empty net, but Mignolet certainly didn't inspire confidence there.

Possession has been split evenly between these two sides so far, but Ludogorets have probably been the better team in the opening 27 minutes. They took the lead very early on, and here is a snap of Abalo celebrating that goal:

SHOT! Sterling almost loses possession following a poor first touch, but he shows good strength to keep hold of the ball and burst through one challenge before advancing into shooting range. However, his subsequent effort from just outside the box is poor as he fires it well over the bar.

SAVE! Better from Manquillo as he comes forward down the right flank before seeing one cross blocked. He shows good desire to get the ball back, however, and his subsequent volleyed effort is tame and goes straight at the keeper, who collects with ease.

Things are looking quite even between these two sides at the moment, and this game is finely poised after half an hour. Both sides really could do with a win, though, so don't expect either to be content with a share of the spoils.

SAVE! Ludogorets get a free kick within shooting range, but the effort is fairly poor when it arrives. However, the ball took a horrid bounce off the turf, which made it very difficult for Mignolet to hold on to. Perhaps his spill for the Ludogorets goal wasn't as bad as it first appeared if that is what he is contending with.

UPDATE: After Messi scored a hat-trick to break the record yesterday, you could have bet your house on Ronaldo finding the back of the net for Madrid this evening. He has done exactly that in the other match in this group to put Madrid ahead against Basel - a result that would suit both Liverpool and Ludogorets.

Liverpool have turned it around here in Sofia! The hosts gift the ball away cheaply on the halfway line and Sterling immediately makes them pay, sprinting down the left before picking out a perfect low pass around the defence for Henderson at the back post. The midfielder still has a lot to do, but he lifts it over the keeper and in to put the visitors in front for the first time tonight.

Well, that early goal certainly asked questions of Liverpool, but they have responded well to turn things around. They have by no means had things all their own way so far, but the result is by far the most important thing tonight and, at the moment, it is going their way.

UPDATE: Atletico Madrid have a second goal against Olympiacos at the Vicente Calderon, with Mario Mandzukic doubling his side's advantage in the Spanish capital.

Things are looking a lot brighter for Liverpool now with those two goals. Once again it was Lambert who opened the scoring for his side, and here he is celebrating his maiden Champions League strike:

There is no stoppage time in Sofia, so the two teams go into break right on the 45-minute mark, and it is Liverpool who will be the happier at the break. They have overturned an early deficit to lead at the break and, as things stand will move level on points with Basel in Group B. Ludogorets, meanwhile, will be eliminated unless they can find two goals without reply in the second half.

The hosts were ahead inside three minutes courtesy of a dreadful error from Mignolet, who spilled Marcelinho's 25-yard effort right into the path of Abalo. The Spaniard, who has four goals in his last five league games and also scored in the reverse fixture, accepted the gift gleefully to stroke the rebound home. The ball did kick up at Mignolet a little, but he simply had to do better. Toure also could have done better in the build-up.

Liverpool responded quickly, however, and it was another defensive shambles that brought the goal. Ludogorets failed to deal with a simple looped ball into the area as Moti and Stoyanov both left i for each other, allowing Lambert to nip in and nod his effort into the far corner. That makes it two goals in two starts for the veteran striker, who is staking his claim for a more regular place in the starting lineup.

Henderson completed the turnaround in the 37th minute, bot once again it was avoidable for the hosts. They gave the ball away on the halfway line, which allowed Lambert to slide a pass to Sterling on the left flank. Unlike the first two goals, though, there was still plenty for Liverpool to do on this occasion, and they finished it off well as Sterling picked out Henderson at the back post, allowing the midfielder to lift his effort over the diving keeper.

Aside from the goals, there has been very little action in either penalty area. Toure has come close to turning the ball into his own net, while Sterling and Manquillo have both had shooting opportunities at the other end, but neither keeper has had too much to do apart from picking the ball out of his net. It has been an even encounter so far, with both side enjoying spells in the ascendency.

KICKOFF: Ludogorets get us back underway for the second half as they look to get back into this match. Can they keep their Champions League dream alive, or will Liverpool keep their fate in their own hands?

An early sight of goal for the hosts as the ball is crossed in from the left and finds Abalo in acres of space inside the box. The Spaniard lines up a first-time volley but completely misses the ball as the cross rolls away to safety. Poor defending once again from Liverpool to allow him so much space, though.

Speaking of dreadful defending...Toure isn't quite looking like the player that coped with Ronaldo so well at the Bernabeu. He lines up a header from a long ball forward but, despite watching it all the way, gets it completely wrong and threatens to release Abalo. Johnson is back to mop up, though.

SHOT! Misidjan has looked as likely as anyone to make something happen for Ludogorets tonight and he tries his luck from distance here, flashing a low effort a couple of yards past the far post.

So far it is Henderson's goal that separates these two sides, and it was a smart finish from the midfielder at the back post. Here he is celebrating his strike:

UPDATE: Juventus have opened the scoring against Malmo in Sweden, with Fernando Llorente breaking the deadlock for the Italian champions.

Unlucky from Marcelinho as he tries to thread a clever pass inside the full-back for Minev, but he gets his angles wrong and plays it behind for a goal kick. The idea was right, but the execution was poor.

Gerrard has a good chance to play the ball into the box with a free kick, and he swings it into the right sort of area but it is too close to the keeper, who collects before Toure can get there at the back post. Still waiting for our first real chance in this second half.

Sterling is left in a heap on the floor having been on the end of a heavy Moti challenge. The youngster picked the ball up on the edge of the area, but Moti timed his challenge really well and won the ball. Sterling is back on his feet now, but he is limping a little.

Sterling is back down now, still apparently feeling the effects of that challenge. Liverpool will certainly not want to lose him to injury too. Lambert has also been limping over the last minute or two, but looks like he will be fine to continue.

Henderson gives away a free kick right on the edge of the box for a tug on Misidjan off the ball. Ludogorets have a chance to test Mignolet here, and the keeper has not looked confident so far...

SHOT! Espinho is the man who goes for goal, bending his shot over the wall but also over the crossbar. He put a decent amount of power on the strike but couldn't get it back down in time.

Fabulous play from Sterling as he turns his marker inside and out to beat him down the left channel. He digs out a cross towards the back post where Lambert is waiting, while Henderson and the keeper collide at the front post. Lambert's diving header hits the heel of a man on the line and bounces back to Henderson, who somehow blasts his effort over the open goal from seven yards. However, his blushes are spared by the referee's whistle for a foul on the keeper.

UPDATE: It's turning into a very successful night for Arsenal, who have doubled their lead against Dortmund at the Emirates courtesy of an Alexis Sanchez strike. Elsewhere, Atletico have moved into a three-goal lead against Olympiacos courtesy of Mandzukic's second of the night.

UPDATE: Make that 4-0 to Atletico. Mandzukic joins Messi and Aguero in the hat-trick club for the Champions League this week, netting his third of the game to extend his side's dominant lead even further.

LUDOGORETS SUB: Ludogorets make the first change of the evening as the goalscorer Abalo makes way for Juninho Quixada. Interesting change for a side in need of a goal.

Half chances at either end as Ludogorets charge forward, with Skrtel unable to stop Caicara in full flow. Liverpool eventually scramble it away to Sterling, who embarks on a fine run of his own downfield. He picks out Gerrard, who in turn finds Henderson, whose deflected effort is prevented from going behind for a corner by the keeper.

LUDOGORETS SUB: Another change for the hosts as Wanderson replaces Aleksandrov for the final 15 minutes or so.

SHOT! Good spell of pressure from Ludogorets as they push for an equalising goal. A couple of scrambles in the box are just about dealt with by Liverpool before Quixada fires a low effort from 25 yards a few yards wide.

Ludogorets have less than 15 minutes to turn this one around now. Remember, anything other than a victory would see them eliminated from Europe, so they need to throw caution to the wind sooner rather than later. They have posed more of a threat in the last few minutes, but still not enough to really worry Liverpool.

Results are going Liverpool's way as things stand tonight. Real Madrid remain in the lead against Basel, and if that stays the same and the Reds can hold out here then they will be level on points with the Swiss champions going into the final match of the campaign at Anfield.

LUDOGORETS SUB: Third and final change for the hosts as Younes Hamza replaces Fabio Espinho for the final 10 minutes.

CHANCE! Huge chance for Liverpool to put this game to bed, but Stoyanov makes a big save. Sterling nodded the ball down to Gerrard, who returned the favour by sliding a ball through to the youngster. He only has the keeper to beat, but telegraphs what he is planning to do and the keeper is able to smother the effort.

LIVERPOOL SUB: Defensive change for the visitors as Alberto Moreno comes on to replace Sterling. Moreno will play ahead of Johnson on the left flank.

Liverpool really could have done with that Sterling chance going in. They will undoubtedly be nervous in these closing stages with just a one-goal lead given their recent form, and conceding late to throw away a victory would be a huge dent in their already fragile confidence.

It is worth remembering now that both of these sides scored in stoppage time in the reverse fixture at Anfield on matchday one. Ludogorets got a 91st-minute equaliser on that occasion before Gerrard's penalty sealed a Liverpool win two minutes later.

I said Liverpool would be nervous, and that is exactly why. Ludogorets get a late equaliser, and it is another poor one for Liverpool to concede. The ball is flicked on at the near post from a corner and finds an unmarked Terziev inside the six-yard box. He reacts quickest to turn his header home from close range to level things up once again!

There will be three minutes of added time at the end of this match. Time for some more late drama, perhaps?

It must be said that Liverpool aren't in much of a hurry at the moment. You get the sense right now that they would be happier with a point, while Ludogorets are pushing for the victory that would keep them in the competition.

It is all over in Sofia as the spoils are shared between Ludogorets and Liverpool. The home side did themselves credit again with a solid performance, but it wasn't enough to keep them in the competition. Liverpool, meanwhile, are left needing a victory in their final game but will be gutted at not winning this game having led until the closing stages.

The hosts opened the scoring inside three minutes when Abalo pounced on a Mignolet error to sweep home the rebound, but Lambert quickly restored parity having capitalised on a defensive mistakes from Ludogorets. Henderson gave Liverpool the lead before half time, but Terziev popped up with a late equaliser to continue Liverpool's winless streak.

Right, that's all we have time for this evening! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole as Ludogorets and Liverpool play out a 2-2 draw in Sofia, ending the hosts' Champions League journey but keeping those of Liverpool just about alive. I will leave you with our match report ane be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!