LIVE: Pirin – Botev Vratsa 1:2, the visitors with a man less – BG Football – efbet League

The teams of Pirin Blagoevgrad and Botev Vratsa play at score 1:2 in the first match for both teams from the efbet League playoffs in the elite survival group. Ivan Tasev opened the scoring for the home team in the 8th minute, and in the continuation of the first half, Martin Achkov converted in a great way from a foul and made it 1:1. The complete turnaround for the visitors came at the beginning of the second half, when Smolenski scored.

The match at the “Hristo Botev” stadium starts at 20:00 and you can watch it live on DIEMA SPORT, as well as online on PLAY DIEMA XTRA. In Gong.bg we will follow the match live minute by minute.

In the temporary ranking, Pirin’s team is in a better position, but it has not yet guaranteed itself to stay in the elite. Blagoevgrad are in second place in the survival group, two points from fourth place, which guarantees a play-off, and eight points from direct relegation. The penultimate place is occupied precisely by today’s rival of the “eagles” Botev Vratsa.

After a calm first few minutes, the score of the match was opened with the first serious danger in front of one of the two goals. Ivan Tasev scored in the 8th minute, taking advantage of a terrible defensive error by Botev Vratsa.

In a seemingly harmless situation in the center of the field, Achkov received and decided to return to Messi Biatumusoka. However, the central defender slipped at the most inopportune moment, gifting the ball to Tasev. The attacking player of the hosts broke away alone against the goalkeeper and with a measured shot in the lower right corner hit the target for 1:0.

In the following minutes, the visiting team managed to move the game into the opponent’s half and made several good attacks on both wings. In one of them, Clary Serber broke from the left, entered the penalty area and crossed very sharply parallel to the goal line, but Kovalov was careful and managed to deflect the ball before it hit the feet of a Botev Vratsa player.

Shortly after half an hour of play, the visitors came to an interesting situation that could turn into one of the most beautiful goals of the season. Brian Medosa received on the right flank and crossed sharply into the penalty area where Brian Perea attempted a trick back-heel but the ball went wide.

The home team responded with a powerful shot from a distance by captain Vencislav Benguyuzov, but he also missed the frame of the goal and the ball flew over the crossbar.

The visitors’ better play after the conceded goal paid off in the extra time of the first half, when the equalizer came. The footballers of Hristo Yanev were given the right to execute a direct free kick from the right after their attack nearly 25 meters from the goal line. Behind the ball stood Martin Achkov, who shot in an exceptional way and left the home goalkeeper helpless, scoring one of the most beautiful goals since the beginning of the efbet Liga campaign.

The second half started excellently for the visitors from Vratsa. A few minutes after the resumption of the game, the graduates of Hristo Yanev managed to take advantage of the momentum in their game and reach the complete reversal of the result. Brian Perea swept down the left wing and crossed into the box for Boubacar Traore. Botev’s footballer failed to play the ball, it bounced off Andrey Yordanov and hit the uncovered Smolensky a few meters from the goal line, who had no problems sending the leather ball into the net.

However, the joy of Vracani was overshadowed in the 54th minute when Brian Mendoza had to leave the field prematurely after receiving a straight red card. The visitors’ full-back made an illegal stop on Danilo Polonski, and due to the fact that he was last in defence, the head referee had no alternative but to show him the way to the changing rooms.

LIVE PIRIN – BOTEV VR 1:2

1:0 Tasev 8′, 1:1 Achkov 45+1, 1:2 Smolenski 49′

Stadium: “Hristo Botev”, Blagoevgrad

Referee: Ivo Andreev

Pirin Blagoevgrad: 12 Maxim Kovalev, 4 Ayoub Abu, 28 Vitalis Yagodinskis, 11 Ivan Tasev, 73 Ventsislav Bengyuzov, 18 Arno Luzayadio, 6 Andrey Yordanov, 14 Danilo Polonsky, 8 Lazar Boyanov, 77 Modu Diane, 19 Yugo Komano

Reserves: 1 Mario Kirev, 38 Alexander Dyulgerov, 7 Asen Donchev, 20 Brian Esalo, 27 Georgi Varbanov, 13 Evgeni Georgiev, 16 Martin Georgiev, 29 Stanislav Kostov, 83 Hristo Popadiin

Senior coach: Oleksandr Babich

Botev Vratsa: 76 Krasimir Kostov, 23 Brian Mendoza, 19 Brian Perea, 21 Boubacar Fey Traore, 8 Claire Serber, 24 Martin Smolenski, 13 Martin Achkov, 27 Messi Biatumusoka, 15 Miroslav Marinov, 77 Stefan Velev, 29 Martin Bachev

Reserves: 1 Lyubomir Vassilev, 9 Daniel Genov, 18 Diogo Barbosa, 28 Eduardo Kunde, 11 Lasana N’diaye, 14 Marko Majuga, 10 Spas Georgiev, 17 Chavdar Ivaylov, 88 Ivan Neshkov

Head Coach: Hristo Yanev