Mario Balotelli Scores First Liverpool Goal In Win Over Ludogorets (GIF)

Mario Balotelli is off and running.

Balotelli scored his first goal for Liverpool on Tuesday, helping the Reds earn a 2-1 win over Bulgarian club Ludogorets in the first game of their 2014-15 UEFA Champions League campaign.

The game was goal-less in the 82nd minute when Liverpool fullback Alberto Moreno floated a cross into the Ludogorets penalty area toward Balotelli. The Italian striker first out-fought two defenders to reach the ball before composing himself and beating goalkeeper Milan Borjan with a well-placed finish.

Balotelli joined Liverpool last month in a £16 million ($26.5 million) transfer from Italian club AC Milan. He failed to score in his first two games with Liverpool, and it appeared his goal-less spell would extend to a third until he pounced on Moreno’s delivery.

After the game, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers praised Balotelli for his predatory instincts.

“It was a wonderful finish from Mario Balotelli,” Rodgers said, according to UEFA.com. “We told him to get in the penalty area more often. It was a world-class finish.”

With that first notch in his Liverpool belt, something tells us Balotelli will add to it in the days and weeks to come.

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GIF via Reddit

Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@StandardSport