Bulgaria’s volleyball champions Levski lost 1-3 (15-25, 19-25, 25-17, 23-25) away to Mladost Zagreb in the first match of the second qualifying round of the men’s Champions League.
“The Blues” will need to win the second leg 3-0 or 3-1 to force a “golden” set, which will determine which of the two teams advances in the tournament. The return match is scheduled for November 11 in Sofia.
Nikolay Zhelyazkov’s side failed to find their rhythm at the start and allowed the hosts to impose their superiority. Mladost won the first set convincingly, 25-15, while in the second set the Bulgarian team stayed close to their opponents until midway through the set. The Croatians then managed to build a lead and take a 2-0 advantage.
Levski showed a completely different face in the third set. The Bulgarian champions made a strong start, taking a 9-2 lead, and gradually extended their advantage. The visitors’ good play allowed them to close out the set 25-17 and reduce their overall deficit.
The fourth set again began better for Mladost, who managed to take a 21-14 lead and appeared close to securing the win. However, with Adrian Ganev serving a strong run, Levski won back five points and put the hosts under pressure once again. “The Blues” saved the first match point, but the Croatian side ended the match at the next opportunity.
Coach Nikolay Zhelyazkov was again unable to rely on captain Todor Skrimov, who continues to recover from an injury. The match in Zagreb also became the European debut for three young Levski volleyball players. Eighteen-year-old setter Petko Petkov started as a starter, while 17-year-olds Adrian Ganev and Ivaylo Donov also made their first appearances on the European stage.
Levski’s top scorer was 21-year-old opposite Krstiyan Titriyski, who scored an impressive 27 points, including two aces and one block. Svetoslav Ivanov added 15 points, while Gordon Lyutskanov finished with 9. Lazar Buchkov and Adrian Ganev contributed 6 points each.
Levski will therefore have to produce their best performance in front of their home crowd on November 11 to keep their hopes of progressing to the next stage of the Champions League alive.