The champion Levski continues its winning streak in the First League, after recording the sixth consecutive success in the Bulgarian football elite. Julio Velasquez's students won 3:1 in their visit to Botev (Plovdiv) in the derby of the seventh round of the championship, BTA reported.
All four goals in the match fell in the second half. Marko Grujic and Aldair gave the capital's team a two-goal lead before Assen Chandarov reduced the deficit for the “canaries”. Six minutes before the end, the Plovdiv midfielder also missed a penalty, and in added time, Reynaldo shaped the final score.
Thus, Levski continues to be the leader in the standings with a full asset of 18 points from its first six matches, while Botev (Plovdiv) registered a third consecutive loss and remains with 7 points to its account.
In the sixth minute, the guests were the first to have a goal opportunity. Heverton received a speedy pass down the right flank and crossed to Mazir Sula, who failed to take a shot, but the ball reached Armstrong Oko-Flex. He fired an accurate shot from the move, which was, however, blocked with a foot by Daniel Naumov. Shortly after, Sula tried a shot from distance that went wide.
In the 27th minute, the “Canaries” had their first accurate shot. Nikola Soldo headed it, but it went straight into the hands of Svetoslav Vutsov.
Six minutes later, the “blues“ keeper had to intervene when Samuil Tsonov shot on the ground, who finished off a quick attack by the “yellow-blacks“. Thus, the break came with a goalless draw.
In the 51st minute, Levski took the lead. Marko Grujic headed in after a precise cross from Aldair on the right. Thus, the former Liverpool player scored his debut goal with the champions.
Eight minutes later, Aldair scored a second goal for the capital team, after being brought out at speed behind the “yellow-blacks“ defense and easily overcame Naumov for 2:0.
In the 64th minute, Stanislav Genchev's players reduced their deficit after Svetoslav Vutsov allowed himself to be jumped over by Assen Chandarov when crossing from a corner and the former player of the “blues“ converted for 1:2.
In the 77th minute, Oko-Flex received a pass from the right and tried to finish diagonally, but over the crossbar. Three minutes later, a discussion situation arose in Levski's penalty area after Kristian Dimitrov played with his hand during a duel in the air with Samuel Kalu. Initially, the head referee Todor Kirov allowed the game to continue, but then he was called to the VAR monitor and decided to award a penalty kick. Assen Chandarov's shot from the penalty spot, however, was saved by Svetoslav Vutsov.
In the third minute of added time of the match, Reynaldo put an end to the dispute with a third goal in the goal of Daniel Naumov and thus formed the final score - 1:3.
Spartak 1918 (Varna) and Ludogorets ended in a 1:1 draw in a match from the 7th round of the First League. This was the second consecutive draw for the Razgrad team, while the hosts broke their streak of three consecutive losses. After this match, Ludogorets has 17 points, already in 2nd place before the remaining matches of the round, while the Varna team has 8 points, writes BTA.
The first serious situation in the match was for the guests. Kwadwo Dua was brought in to defend Spartak 1918 Varna and shot, but the ball went over the goal. In the 16th minute, Kwadwo Dua could have opened the scoring again. He intercepted the ball after a cross from a corner, but goalkeeper Plamen Iliev managed to save. In the 36th minute, Kwadwo Dua was found in the home team's penalty area and shot from about ten meters, but inaccurately.
In the 39th minute, Deroy Duarte shot from distance, but the ball went over the Spartak 1918 Varna goal. In the 41st minute, both teams missed a clear chance. First, Ivaylo Chochev intercepted the ball with his head after a cross in the Spartak 1918 Varna penalty area, but goalkeeper Plamen Iliev caught it. In the rebounded attack, David Valverde crossed from the right into the Ludogorets penalty area, and Anton Ivanov intercepted the ball at the far post, but his shot was inaccurate.
In the 46th minute, the hosts could have opened the scoring, but after a diagonal shot, slightly to the left, by Jota Lopez, the visitors' goalkeeper Hendrik Bonman caught the ball. In the 50th minute, Hossam Abdelmagid intercepted the ball with his head after a cross from a corner, but goalkeeper Plamen Iliev managed to save. In the 60th minute, a goal by Ivaylo Chochev with a header was disallowed due to offside.
In the 65th minute, Spartak 1918 Varna opened the scoring. Anton Ivanov broke through from the left and crossed into the penalty area, where Samuel Mayor scored from a few meters for 1:0. In the 68th minute, Ludogorets equalized. After a cross from the left into the home team's penalty area, Alexander Marinov proved to be the most resourceful and scored from a few meters for 1:1. For the young Marinov, this was his first goal in the elite at all. Until the end of the match, both teams had opportunities, but failed to change the result.