The capital's CSKA 1948 achieved a decisive victory with 4:1 against Cherno More in the opening match of the 5th round of the domestic championship, held at the “Vitosha“ stadium in Bistritsa.
The Sailors took the lead early in the match with a goal from Mohamed Achi in the 10th minute, but the hosts demonstrated great character and struck their blow. Frederic Maciel equalized shortly before the break in the 40th minute, and in the second half the Reds completely dominated the field. Atanas Iliev brought about the complete turnaround in the 52nd minute, followed by another goal by Maciel in the 63rd and a goal by Elias Franco in the 82nd minute for the final 4:1.
Dramatic first half and early shock for the hosts
The clash started excellently for the Black Sea team led by Ilian Iliev. Already in the 10th minute, new signing Mohamed Achi took advantage of a misunderstanding in the opposing defense and sent the ball into Alex Bozhev's net. The hosts tried a quick response, and in the 36th minute, VAR canceled their goal due to offside. CSKA 1948's pressure still yielded results in the 40th minute, when Brian Sobrero combined beautifully on the flank with Maciel, who with a precise shot beat Kristian Tomov for 1:1.
Atanas Iliev and Maciel ruined the “sailors“ in the second half
At the break, the home team's coach Alexander Alexandrov made a key tactical change, putting Atanas Iliev in place of Petar Vitanov. Just seven minutes later, in the 52nd minute, it was reserve Iliev who intercepted a sharp pass in front of the goal line and punished his former team for 2:1.
The Varna team failed to recover from the shock and in the 63rd minute, Frederic Maciel scored his second goal of the match after an assist from Jules Meyer, making the score 3:1. Elias Franco, who appeared as a reserve, put the point in dispute, and in the 82nd minute, he shaped the defeat.
With this success, CSKA 1948 collected an asset of 13 points and continues its strong performance on the home stage, overcoming the disappointment of being eliminated in Europe. On the other hand, Cherno More remains in a serious crisis without a win since the beginning of the season.