After a five-year absence from Europe’s premier club competition it was not one of the classic nights at Anfield but Gerrard promised there was better to come.

“We are very relieved. It was very important to start the competition off with maximum points,” said Gerrard.

“I don’t think it was a very good performance from ourselves but we have managed to take the three points, which is vital.

“I think we will get better as the season progresses.

“We have a lot of new faces trying to find their feet and settle in and there is a lot of expectancy on us because of how well we performed last year but it will take time to get back to that level – hopefully sooner rather than later.

“Sometimes you have to crawl before you can walk.”

Gerrard believes Balotelli will go on to score plenty more after converting a smart chance in front of The Kop to open his account following a £16million move from AC Milan.

“I think it will be the first of many,” he added.

“I thought he worked his socks off. You look at strikers and sometimes when it is not going their way they sulk but he was relentless and he stayed in there and that one good chance which came his way he took and it was a great finish.”

Gerrard also had praise for young full-back Javier Manquillo, on loan from Atletico Madrid, whose run forward drew the foul from goalkeeper Milan Borjan to win the penalty.

“He has done very well since he came in, not just last night, but that is what type of defender he is: front foot, aggressive, very attacking,” said Gerrard.

“He got rewarded by being brave and ambitious, even being down that end of the field – a lot of full-backs would have been staying back trying to get a draw out of the game.

“He chased down a lost cause and we got rewarded for it.”

Manager Brendan Rodgers also accepts his side have a lot of catching up to do in order to hit the heights of last season, when they ran Manchester City a close second in the Premier League.

“We could do no more than win. We are not at the standard we were last season, that is for sure,” he said.

“There is a lot of adaptation going on as we have a lot of players who have come in and are still adapting.

“We are a work in progress. While we do that it is important we win games.

“Last night was about perseverance, an attribute you need to have, especially at the highest level.

“We kept going, kept pushing and the whole ground really appreciated that.”

Ludogorets coach Georgi Dermendjiev refused to blame Borjan, only signed at the weekend after suspension and injury ruled out his first two choices, for conceding the penalty.

“The goalkeeper was upset after the mistake. That is natural but we have a very good team atmosphere and his team-mates and I told him after the game that it is not a big mistake and everything will be fine in the future,” he said.