Ludogorets take on the visitors Astana in the second leg of UEFA Europa League qualification semifinals. First leg result: 1-2. The match will be played on Thursday, August 17th at Huvepharma Arena (Razgrad).
Ludogorets are a big disappointment this summer. The Eagles managed to secure the top spot in the Bulgarian championship at the end of the 2022/2023 season. However, there wasn't the usual dominant performance; on the contrary, Sofia's CSKA finished just behind the multiple title holder. This could have been a warning sign, but it went unnoticed or was ignored. They started the new season with a 0-2 loss to Balkani in the Champions League qualifiers, but the team managed to regroup at home, delivering a 4-0 thrashing to the Kosovar team. However, their next opponent, Olimpija, managed to eliminate Ludogorets. The outcome was decided in the second leg in Ljubljana: after a 1-1 draw in Razgrad, the same score was repeated in Slovenia, but in the final minutes, the hosts scored the winning goal, and Ludogorets missed a penalty. They also suffered a loss in Kazakhstan as part of the Europa League.
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Astana have yet to regain its optimal condition. Citizens, after enjoying prolonged dominance in 2020 and 2021, were left without a title twice in a row. It wasn't until last year that they reclaimed the gold of Kazakhstan. It's not certain that they can maintain their leadership, as Ordabasy is performing remarkably well and consistently. Furthermore, upon their return to the Champions League, under Babayan's guidance, Astana only managed to eliminate Dynamo Tbilisi, with a 2-1 victory away after a 1-1 draw at home. However, they faced more experienced and renowned Dinamo counterparts from Zagreb in the next round, and the Croatians secured a 6-0 aggregate win over two matches. But against the Bulgarians, despite conceding at home initially, they managed to secure a determined 2-1 victory.
Strangely enough, despite their recent successes, these clubs played against each other for the first time last week. The pair is quite evenly matched, but now it's the Eagles who are playing at home. So, let's place our bet on the Bulgarian team to win.
Prediction for the match: Ludogorets to win.
