Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers hails "wonderful" Mario Balotelli

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has backed Mario Balotelli to go on a goalscoring run after opening his account for the club against Ludogorets Razgrad.

The summer signing from AC Milan gave the Reds the lead at Anfield on Tuesday night as they started their Champions League campaign with a dramatic 2-1 victory.

Having failed to find the net in his first two games for the Merseysiders, Rodgers believes that the Italy international will now be full of confidence.

"He's six foot three and great in the air. When the cross came in, he showed great physical strength, a touch, and then the finish was a brilliant one. It was wonderful technique with the outside of his foot. It'll give him a whole load of confidence," he told the club's official website.

"On top of that I thought he worked very hard tonight - he worked and was pressing. He's still adapting and still trying to get fit because he's been behind the others in pre-season."

Liverpool's Premier League campaign continues on Saturday evening when they travel to West Ham United.