Liverpool’s opponents have only been around for 13 years!
Liverpool take on the largely unheard of Ludogorets of Bulgaria on Tuesday evening an Anfield, the Reds first Champions League fixture in five seasons.
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Here’s ten things all Liverpool fans need to know about their opponents from Pot 4…
1) Ludogrets were only formed 13 seasons ago in the Bulgarian town of Razgrad.
2) The town is so small that it’s only inhabited by 31,000 people. Liverpool has a population of nearly half a million.
3) In 2011, Ludogorets were taken over by wealthy businessman Kiril Domuschiev, who invested heavily into the team.
4) That same year, Ludogorets climbed their way into the Bulgarian A League, winning a domestic treble at their first attempt. This has only ever been done once in football history, by Estonian outfit FC Levadia Tallinn.
5) Since gaining promotion to the top flight, they’ve won the league three times out of three.
6) Last term Ludogorets fared well in Europe. They topped their Europa League group which included PSV, but were knocked out by Lazio in the Last 16.
7) Ludogorets’ stadium is so small (holding only 8,000), that UEFA has forced them to play their home matches at a neutral venue in Sofia.
8) Against Steaua Bucharest in the final qualifying round to make the Champions League group stages proper, Ludogorets defender Cosmin Moti scored to force the match into extra time. He then went in goal during the shoot-out because the keepr was sent off, and he made two miraculous saves in the shoot-out!
9) As a result of Moti’s heroics, a stand at the Ludogrets stadium is being named after him!
10) Ludogorets are without their first-choice goalkeeper, Vladislav Stoyanov, who is suspended, while the backup stopper is crocked. As a result, they’ve been permitted to sign a Canadian outside of the transfer window just for the match with the Reds!
11) Ludogorets’ most influential player is a Brazilian journeyman named Marcelinho. The 30-year-old played for weight different clubs before joining the Bulgarians in 2010, but has bagged 37 goals from the no.10 position since.