Bulgarian Champions Ludogorets Eliminate Rijeka, Face Ferencvаrosi Next in Champions League

Ludogorets secured their place in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League after a dramatic 3:1 extra-time victory over Croatian champions Rijeka. The first leg in Croatia ended goalless, and the return match in Razgrad finished 1:1 after regular time, forcing extra minutes where the hosts capitalized on their numerical advantage.

Jakub Piotrowski gave Ludogorets the lead early on from the penalty spot. The decision followed a VAR check after a shot from Son was deflected by a Rijeka defender’s foot into the hand of Stjepan Radelić. Despite protests from the visiting players, the Scottish referee pointed to the spot after consulting the pitchside monitor. Piotrowski converted with confidence.

Soon after, Bernard Tekpetey created another big opportunity. His shot rebounded to Vidal and Erick Marcus, who failed to finish from promising positions. Rijeka responded with some long-range efforts and a promising attack that ended without a shot on target. Just before halftime, the visitors appealed for a penalty due to a suspected handball by Verdon, but the referee let play continue.

In the second half, Rijeka nearly drew level immediately. A corner kick led to Tony Fruk striking the post, and moments later, Luka Menalo missed a chance to slot past goalkeeper Simon Sluga. Ludogorets came close again in the 68th minute when Caio Vidal hit the post after outpacing two defenders and shooting from a tight angle.

The equalizer for Rijeka came in the 71st minute. Substitute Amer Gojak finished off a sharp cross from the left by Lasickas, making it 1:1. However, Rijeka’s momentum was short-lived. Six minutes later, Gabrijel Rukavina was sent off with a straight red for kicking Munir Chouillard – a decision made following another VAR review.

Ludogorets thought they had regained the lead in the 85th minute after a sequence involving Son, Chouillard, and Stanislav Ivanov led to Ivaylo Chochev finding the net. But VAR intervened again, ruling Ivanov offside and disallowing the goal.

The hosts continued pushing forward in search of a winner before the end of regular time. Piotrowski and Filip Kaloc both had offside efforts, and deep into added time, the match saw another critical turning point. VAR caught Toni Fruk stamping on Piotrowski’s ankle, leading to a second red card for Rijeka, who finished with nine men.

With a two-man advantage, Ludogorets controlled possession and created chances in extra time. While early efforts from Marcus and Verdon missed the target, the breakthrough came in the 107th minute. A build-up on the right involving Francisco Son and a sharp shot from Kurtulus found Chochev in the box. Reacting first in a crowded area, he cleverly backheeled the ball past Zlomislic.

The Bulgarian champions did not ease off. Markus and Chouillard had further shots on goal, and in the 117th minute, the match was effectively sealed. Stanislav Ivanov netted his first European goal for Ludogorets, finishing a close-range attack started by Son and Chouillard, who returned the ball from the byline for an easy tap-in.

With this victory, Ludogorets not only progresses in the Champions League qualifiers but also secures at least a spot in the Conference League group stage. Their next opponent is Hungary’s Ferencvаrosi, who advanced by eliminating Armenian side Noah. Rijeka, on the other hand, drops into the Europa League, where they will face Ireland’s Shelbourne in the third qualifying round.