Bulgaria Suffers Rainy 0:1 Defeat in Serbia Friendly

Bulgarian players Stanislav Genchev (L) and Zivko Milanov (R) vie for the ball with Adem Ljajic (C) of Serbia during the friendly soccer match between Bulgaria and Serbia at the Vassil Levski Stadium in Sofia, Bulgaria 17 November 2010. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Bulgaria's national football team suffered a 0:1 defeat by Balkan neighbors Serbia in a friendly in rainy Sofia on November 17.

Nikola Zigic scored the only goal in the match in the 80th minute.

The rivals put up equal performances, but did not offer the audience beautiful or memorable moments. The Bulgarian team was unconvincing in its attacks and failed to set up dangerous situations for the Serbian goal-keeper.

The stakes were high not only for the Serbian team, but also for Bulgaria, who wanted to at least partially make up for a humiliating 1:6 loss in the latest friendly in 2008.

Interestingly, the Wednesday game was refereed by a team from Romania.

This was Serbia's first international since October 12, when violent Serbian fans clashed with Italian police following the two countries' canceled Euro 2012 qualifying match in Genoa. Sixteen people including two police officers were hospitalized, seventeen were arrested.

Bulgaria new boss Lothar Matthaeus has set himself the ambitious goal to qualify the team for Euro 2012.

Bulgaria's national football team beat Wales 1:0 in Cardiff at the beginning of October in a match, which marked Matthaeus' debut as its coach.

Thus, after losing from England and Montenegro at the start, Bulgaria won their first three points in Group G of the Euro 2012 qualifications.

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