"Friends and viewers, welcome to our live coverage of tonight's Champions League fixture..."
It was just past eight in the evening, and Anfield was already packed shoulder to shoulder, the commentary team building anticipation for the match.
"Tonight, we have a Champions League group-stage clash that's drawn plenty of attention. Liverpool, unstoppable in the Premier League of late, host Ludogorets, three-time champions of Bulgaria, here at Anfield.
Ludogorets have established themselves as the new powerhouse of Bulgarian football, having just claimed their third straight league title.
They rarely find a worthy opponent domestically, and they've turned in solid performances in Champions League qualifying too.
Their game is built around defence and counter-attacks—a high press, quick recovery runs from the back line, well-drilled combinations between wingers and fullbacks, forwards who threaten both in the air and cutting inside, and a midfield general capable of some genuinely impressive long-range distribution. Their home ground has earned the nickname the Devil's Den of Eastern Europe.
Only tonight, they're on the road. Without their home crowd behind them, that edge may well be dulled.
Of course, this side has its clear vulnerabilities too. Their first-choice centre-back has been out injured for a long stretch, their backup defenders lack cohesion, and they're notably exposed in the air. Against an attacking force like Liverpool, their back line is in for a serious examination.
But tonight's real headline isn't only whether Liverpool can keep their scoring streak alive—there's an even more remarkable story waiting to unfold.
This is the Champions League debut of Liverpool's undisputed core star player, Julien De Rocca!
It might be hard for a lot of fans to believe, so let's run through his résumé. On the international stage, he's already conquered everything there is to conquer—leading France to a World Cup title, and driving them to the semifinals of the European Championship, where he was the decisive man behind their run;
at club level, he's collected a Ligue 1 title, a Premier League title, the domestic cups that came with them, and even a Europa League crown— practically a full trophy sweep short of only the Champions League itself, cementing his place as one of football's unquestioned superstars.
What's even more astonishing is that De Rocca is now the runaway favourite for this year's Ballon d'Or—it's practically already his to collect.
His dominance on the pitch, his performances in the biggest moments, and the honours he's amassed all put him miles ahead of every other contender.
And yet this very superstar had, right up until tonight, never once set foot on a Champions League pitch.
It's almost a comically dramatic footnote in the sport's history.
Which only sharpens the appeal of tonight's match. Everyone is waiting to see what kind of surprise this Ballon d'Or favourite has in store for his Champions League debut.
Looking back at Liverpool's recent form: four straight Premier League wins, nineteen goals scored, an attack that's borderline terrifying, and a squad depth that's second to none in the game.
With Julien leading the way, just how far can this unstoppable Reds side go..."
BOOM!
BOOM-BOOM!!
As the commentary rolled on, the noise in the stadium kept swelling.
Anfield was packed to capacity, the roar of the crowd deafening, everyone was waiting for Julien's Champions League debut.
Tonight's starting lineup came as something of a surprise to more than a few fans.
Klopp didn't roll out the full-strength side that had been red-hot in recent weeks—instead, he opted for a heavily rotated squad.
Clearly with an eye on the congested fixture list ahead.
And it was also a chance for a number of players to find their rhythm and match sharpness.
Liverpool's front three tonight were Sturridge, Julien, and Coutinho.
Julien was deployed out on the right flank.
It was the position he'd made his name in when he first broke through—though these days, of course, he's long since become a free-roaming presence who can drift into any spot across the front line. Wherever the tactics called for him, he could play there.
In midfield, Klopp fielded a three of Pogba, Kanté, and Casemiro—a trio balanced between defence and attack, solid enough to shore up the back while still supporting the play going forward.
It was something of a chance to give Casemiro some minutes too—Klopp clearly rated the Brazilian midfielder highly.
It's just that, in truth, there usually wasn't a place for him in the more routine fixtures.
At the back, Sakho started, partnered with Hummels at centre-back, Piszczek and Robertson at left-back and right-back respectively, with Oblak guarding the goal.
Fans familiar with Liverpool's squad understood well enough.
This starting eleven was, relatively speaking, about as far down the pecking order as the Reds' options went.
Compared to the full-strength lineup, the rotation was drastic, and a fair number of squad players were getting their Champions League chance.
But even so, once the match got underway.
Against Bulgarian outfit Ludogorets, Liverpool still showed a clear and total superiority in quality.
From the opening whistle, they seized total control of the game, pinning their opponents deep in their own half and crushing them territorially.
Ludogorets, well aware of the gulf in quality between the two sides, abandoned any idea of attacking almost immediately.
Everyone dropped back, setting up in a packed defensive shape.
Trying to rely on a solid defence to hold back Liverpool's attacking tide.
They compressed their lines, stacking numbers around the box, determined not to give Liverpool a single sniff at goal. But Liverpool's attack was still every bit as forceful.
Julien was especially outstanding out on the right—back in the position he knew best, his dribbling was sharper, his footwork more refined, and whether cutting inside or driving to the byline, he brushed past Ludogorets' left-back without much trouble at all.
He kept demanding the ball and driving forward, becoming the engine of Liverpool's right-side attack.
Ludogorets had no choice but to assign two men just to mark him, which only opened up more space for his teammates elsewhere.
The match reached the 13th minute.
Casemiro picked up the ball in midfield and slid it out to Julien on the right. Julien took it in stride and surged forward down the flank, slipping past two Ludogorets defenders in quick succession before driving straight into the box.
Once inside the penalty area, the danger Julien posed was immediately obvious.
Ludogorets' centre-back abandoned his mark on Sturridge on the spot and spun back to close down Julien—in an instant, three Ludogorets players had converged inside the box, every one of them fixed entirely on Julien.
Faced with the crowd of defenders, Julien didn't panic for a moment. He spotted, with total clarity, Sturridge standing completely unmarked in the box.
Then, threading it through the gap between the defenders, he laid a perfect ball along the ground into Sturridge's path.
Sturridge took it in stride and finished with a calm, composed strike.
The ball hit the net!
1–0!
Liverpool had broken the deadlock.
CRACK!
Anfield erupted in an instant!
Sturridge sprinted over to Julien and pulled him into a tight embrace.
On the touchline, Klopp was pumping his fist in celebration too, clearly delighted—this rotated lineup was already exceeding what he'd expected.
"The ball is in! 1–0! Liverpool lead!"
The instant Sturridge's shot found the corner of the net, the commentator's voice rose in a shout, showering praise on the finish.
Then, the commentary turned its focus onto Julien. "That's individual quality right there! Absolutely lethal!
From receiving it, to the burst forward, to drawing the defenders in, to that pass through the gap—every single step of it belongs in a textbook. Any winger watching should be taking notes on how Julien just played that.
Back in the position he made his name in on the right flank, Julien looks completely in his element. Two defenders couldn't stop him and what difference did three men surrounding him in the box make?
He still found a teammate through the gap and set up the goal. That's what dominance at the very top of the game looks like. That's what a Ballon d'Or favourite looks like!
An assist on his Champions League debut—Julien is showing everyone, with actions, exactly why he won a World Cup, and exactly why the Ballon d'Or is his to lose..."
Out on the pitch, Anfield had already dissolved into a sea of celebration.
Fans leapt and roared, some pounding the seats around them, others throwing their arms overhead and bellowing, "Julien! Julien!"
Elsewhere in the stands, fans were shouting to the people next to them, "God, Julien is unreal! That run, that pass—there was just no answer for it. What a way to start a Champions League debut!"
"Back on the right, Julien's like he's got wings," his friend laughed back, waving a red scarf. "Look at this—even our rotated lineup is this good. Our squad depth is genuinely frightening. Even without the first team, we can steamroll teams like this. We've got a real shot at the Champions League this season!"
Not far off, a few other fans were caught up in a lively discussion, faces lit up with excitement: "Haha, the Champions League looks way too easy with Julien out there. That's what having a World Cup title under your belt gets you. This year's Ballon d'Or is a lock for Julien—no question about it!"
"Forget just Julien—this whole team is unreal! Even with a rotated side, we're steamrolling Ludogorets. This season, Premier League or Champions League, we've got a real shot at both!"
Out on the pitch, Play carried on.
Sturridge's goal was like a cork popping—the start of what would become a Champions League massacre.
It lit Liverpool's attack completely on fire!
The celebration at Anfield hadn't died down at all, and Liverpool's players had their spirits fully ignited—the attack escalated in an instant, across the board.
Wave after wave of attacks crashed toward Ludogorets' back line like a rising tide.
Giving their opponents absolutely no room to catch their breath.
Julien's performance out on the right grew more and more unanswerable—back in his familiar spot, it was as if he'd flipped on god mode.
Once he got the ball up front, his sheer explosiveness and refined footwork made him almost impossible to contain.
Ludogorets' defenders were completely out of answers. Faced with Julien's relentless dribbling, all they could do was keep hauling him down with fouls, over and over.
Whistles for fouls kept sounding across the pitch. But even that couldn't slow Julien down, couldn't hold back Liverpool's attacking storm.
The match reached the 17th minute. Julien picked up the ball on the right and went for another run and in desperation, Ludogorets' left-back grabbed a fistful of his shirt and hauled him to the ground.
The referee didn't hesitate: free kick.
Liverpool had won themselves a free kick in a prime attacking position.
Pogba stepped up to take it.
Pogba took a deep breath, settled himself, and fixed his eyes straight on the goal.
Up in the stands, the Liverpool fans fell silent, everyone was holding their breath, hoping this free kick would deliver something special.
TWEET!
At the referee's whistle, Pogba struck the ball, sending it curling beautifully over the wall and into the box.
Sturridge surged in and leapt high.
He was marked too tightly to get a clean shot on goal, though, so in midair he flicked his head, sending the ball on with a lovely glancing header toward the back post.
At the back post, there wasn't a single Ludogorets defender there.
Julien had already spotted the space and made his run—reacting in a flash, before the ball even hit the ground, he stabbed it home. It nestled snugly into the bottom-left corner. The goalkeeper flung himself desperately at it, but he was already far too late. 2–0!
Liverpool extended their lead!
"The ball's in! Julien! Julien has scored! A goal on his Champions League debut—this is perfect! A goal and an assist!" the commentator burst out. "Liverpool's attacking arsenal is so deep—there's individual brilliance breaking teams down, there's slick combination play, and now there's this, a goal straight off a set piece. Ludogorets simply have no answer. All they can do is sit back and take the punishment..."
BOOM!
BOOM-BOOM!!
Anfield dissolved once more into a sea of celebration.
The cheers, the roars even louder than after the first goal!
Fans waved their red scarves, chanting Julien's name at the top of their lungs. Some leapt up in excitement, others fell into each other's arms, letting the joy pour out freely.
Julien ran to the touchline, threw his arms wide, and soaked in the crowd's ovation.
His teammates rushed over one after another, slapping hands and pulling him into hugs, celebrating his first Champions League goal.
Ludogorets' players looked more and more crushed; their spirits werew utterly deflated by the run of goals conceded.
Once play resumed.
The pressure on their defence hadn't let up in the slightest!
Even when they tried to organize a counter, they simply couldn't break through Liverpool's midfield wall—all they could do was sit back in their own half and absorb wave after wave of pressure from the Reds.
But Liverpool showed no sign of easing off, their attack every bit as fierce as before.
Julien, meanwhile, was in hot form, burning brighter by the minute.
In the 21st minute, another Liverpool attack came rolling in. Julien took the ball on the right and immediately went into full dribbling mode—facing three Ludogorets defenders taking turns trying to close him down, he cut and shifted direction over and over, weaving through with total fluidity.
First a feint sent the first defender the wrong way, then he accelerated past, shaking off the second man's attention, before cutting inside with another shift of direction and gliding past the third defender with ease.
Having beaten three men in a row, Julien cut into the edge of the box.
A gorgeous curling shot on the turn!
THWACK!
The ball traced a beautiful arc straight toward the top corner—fast, and at a vicious angle. The keeper launched himself into the air in desperation, but he couldn't get anywhere near it.
SWISH!
The ball snapped cleanly into the net. 3–0!
"Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable! Julien beats three men! A curling finish on the turn! 3–0!"
"That's what individual brilliance looks like from Julien—an unanswerable run and the perfect finish. Ludogorets' defence might as well not exist in front of him! Just 21 minutes in, and Liverpool are already up 3–0. Ludogorets have been completely broken. This match has become nothing short of a Liverpool exhibition!"
The celebration at Anfield reached its absolute peak.
"Julien!"
"JULIEN!!"
The fans screamed his name like they'd lost their minds!
Julien threw his arms wide and roared, letting every ounce of what he was feeling pour out.
His Champions League debut—just 21 minutes in, and he already had 2 goals and an assist!
What does it mean to be world-class?
This is what it means!!
Ludogorets' players stood slumped on the pitch, heads down. They knew it full well against a Liverpool side this unstoppable.
Against a Julien this unanswerable, they didn't stand a chance.
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