Having played the early villain, Titus Bramble became the late hero for Ipswich, scoring an equaliser five minutes from time to give Burley's time greater hope of progressing through next Thursday's return in Moscow.
The centre back had gifted Torpedo Moscow their early goal but scored with a low shot to ensure Ipswich's first European game for 19 years did not end on a low after Stewart had missed a first-half penalty. Only the woodwork denied Jim Magilton and Richard Naylor a winner as Ipswich's intense late pressure told.
History had hardly suggested that Ipswich's first European tie since Roma visited here in 1981-82 would end in defeat. In 25 previous European home matches, the Suffolk side had never been beaten and had been held only three times.Yet the home fans, many of whom were not born when Ipswich were last in Europe, had reason to be wary.
The worries were not just that Torpedo presented an unknown quantity but that Ipswich's league form has been far less impressive than last season. A draw at home to Blackburn last weekend followed a defeat here by Charlton. Improvement seemed essential.
The early signs were hardly promising. The Ipswich keeper Matteo Sereni had already fumbled a shot when he was beaten inside quarter of an hour.
Torpedo, neat in possession and with ambitions beyond a clean sheet, were gifted their goal by Bramble. The young centre-back, who dreams of playing for Barcelona, played a dreadful ball from the back straight to Konstantin Zyryanov and two passes later Dmitry Vyasmikin, the Russian league's leading scorer, had beaten Sereni with ease.
Ipswich looked at their most dangerous attacking down the left, where the determined Hermann Hreidarsson was willing to come forward in support of Finidi George. But too few crosses found their target as a physical Torpedo side got back in numbers to defend.
Although Marcus Stewart and the lively Pablo Counago brought saves out of Roman Berezovsky, they were creating few clear chances. And it needed a generous decision by the Turkish referee to hand them a penalty in the 35th minute when Aliaksandr Lukhvich was adjudged to have pulled Counago's shirt.
In keeping with the evening, nerves got the better of Stewart, who put the spot-kick wide.
George Burley brought on Jamie Clapham during the interval, moving Hreidarsson to centre-back.
Only two timely interventions by Hreidarsson denied Torpedo further clear chances on the counter-attack, and Vyasmikin rightly had a "goal" ruled out for offside.
IPSWICH TOWN (4-3-3): Sereni; Makin (Reuser, 68min), McGreal (Clapham, h-t) Bramble, Hreidarsson; Wright, Magilton, Holland, George; Stewart, Counago (Naylor, 57).
TORPEDO MOSCOW (4-4-2): Berezovsky; Daev; Lukhvich, Jolovic, Malai; Sadjaia, Leonchenko, Kormyltsev, Zyryanov; Shirko (Semshov, 82), Vyasmikin (Komoltsev, 88).
Referee: O Erdemir (Turkey).
