Eder marked his Italy debut in style with a brilliant equaliser as they kept their Euro 2016 qualifying run going in Bulgaria.
The Azzurri had not lost in 44 qualifying fixtures going into this clash -- a run dating back to 2006 -- but that was seriously under threat as they trailed 2-1 with eight minutes left.
But Sampdoria's Brazil-born striker had other ideas and curled in an equaliser from the edge of the box to secure a 2-2 draw.
It had looked as though new Bulgaria coach Ivaylo Petev was going to start his reign with a win, with Ivelin Popov and Iliyan Mitsanski having washed out Iordan Minev's early own goal.
Italy fall two points behind leaders Croatia in Group H as a result, but with half of the fixtures to come they will have few worries about that.
This result also gave a positive end to the day for Italy coach Antonio Conte, who had reportedly been the subject of death threats in the wake of Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio being injured while on duty with the national side.
Early on it looked as though Italy were going to run up a heavy score. Having already gone close through Ciro Immobile -- who got one-on-one with Nikolay Mihaylov -- they took the lead as Minev got ahead of Simone Zaza as a ball was whipped in by Andrea Bertolacci but he could only put it into his own goal.
Italy continued to impress, keen to leave no margin for error, and Antonio Candreva cracked in a 30-yard free-kick which Mihaylov fisted away.
Immobile remained in the hunt for goals too, twice more taking aim but being denied by first the keeper and then the legs of Stanislav Manolev.
It had been all Italy in the early stages but Bulgaria made it 1-1 with 11 on the clock, scoring against the run of play.
Manolev made his way up field and swung in a cross which was cleared, but Popov got onto the ball, drove forward and sent a shot beyond Salvatore Sirigu.
The PSG keeper was picking the ball out of the back of his net for a second time six minutes later, as again Bulgaria were afforded room to pick their play and Mitsanski nodded in a Milanov cross to flip the game on its head.
Italy tried to respond with Zaza's strike deflected behind, but Bulgaria remained the more dangerous side as Popov proved when he slammed a long-range free-kick against the bar with Sirigu flapping.
Bulgaria went into the dressing rooms ahead and remained largely untested after it, keeping Italy at bay and giving them limited sightings of their goal.
Even when they did get close they found themselves quickly crowded out. Immobile took aim and was denied by Mihaylov as the game hit its three-quarter point and then, as the ball fell loose to Bertolacci he was closed down before he could get a clean strike away.
Time was running out for Italy and they knew it, something summed up when Giorgio Chiellini's header from a corner was way off beam and Immobile was booked for diving, claiming a penalty as he fell.
But Eder had other ideas and his right-footed strike as the clock ran down ensured his side took a point.