The second round of the UEFA Europa League group stage brought Bulgarian Ludogorets and Spanish Betis together at the Huvepharma Arena in Razgrad. Under the leadership of Manuel Pellegrini, the visitors from Seville are seeking their first win in the tournament after a draw in their opening match against English side Nottingham Forest.
Betis enters this match in good spirits, having recently defeated Osasuna in the national league. Meanwhile, Ludogorets has already picked up three points, beating Swedish side Malmö in the first round.
The turning point of the first half came with a precise strike from Giovani Lo Celso in the 32nd minute. The Argentine midfielder scored a beautiful goal from the edge of the penalty area, putting the Spanish club ahead. After that, Betis continued to control the game, pressing aggressively and not allowing the Bulgarians to create any real threats near their goal.
The match was not without its unpleasant moments: Ludogorets defender Kurtulus suffered an injury after colliding with Junior Firpo and had to leave the field on a stretcher. Betis also faces significant squad losses, as Marc Bartra, Nelson Deossa, Diego Llorente, Isco, and young Pablo Garcia are all unavailable.
Pellegrini made major changes to the starting lineup compared to the last La Liga match, leaving only the central defenders and Marc Roca on the field. This approach allowed the team to maintain a high tempo and varied attacking play.
The match is officiated by Julian Weinberger, with Alan Kiyas in charge of the VAR system. Due to UEFA sanctions, Betis fans are not present in the stands.
The article features photos from the match, warm-up shots, official lineups and statistics, as well as information on the teams’ previous encounters in European competitions.
