Ludogorets – Rijeka

The champion of Croatia will not give in to the opponent in the return match.

The confrontation between the Croatian and Bulgarian champions in the second round of the Champions League qualifiers was estimated to be roughly equal before the first match. The final whistle of the match in Rijeka confirmed the expectations of specialists. The match was very tough, with intense competition on the field rather than technical finesse and scoring opportunities. By the end of the first encounter, the referee recorded 33 fouls and showed 8 yellow cards to the players. At the same time, not a single goal was scored and the scoring chances were approximately equal - 2:2. The draw in the first match can certainly be viewed as an advantage for the away team. However, the specifics of the confrontation between opponents of roughly the same level do not allow for a full judgment on this. Tactical decisions by both coaches at the beginning of the match in Razgrad or an early goal could turn everything upside down. Bookmakers deemed the home side favourites for the return match, offering odds of 1.96 on their victory. Ludogorets got on the nerves of their own fans in the first round of the Champions League qualifiers. Criticism of the perennial champions of Bulgaria began even after a home victory over Dinamo Minsk with a score of 1:0, despite the fact that the club from Razgrad was considered the clear favourite of the match. The return match was lost on neutral ground, but they managed to advance thanks to a decisive goal in the first extra time. After the first match against Rijeka, Ludogorets won a match in the national championship in the city of Vratza, where the only goal was scored through an own goal by the opponent in the 90+3 minute. It seems that not all mechanisms are working smoothly within the Bulgarian champions. Rijeka ended the seven-year hegemony of Dinamo Zagreb in the last Croatian championship. Both competitors earned the same number of points, but Rijeka had the upper hand in their head-to-head meetings. The newly crowned champion of Croatia has not yet started competing on the national stage, which is why they supplemented their preparation for the return match with a friendly match against Ludogorets. In the upcoming encounter, the visitors will play 'second fiddle'. The nearly successful performance of Dinamo Minsk in Razgrad could well be replicated by Rijeka, at least aiming not to lose to their opponent in regular time.