Ludogorets Razgrad secured a narrow 2-1 victory over Botev Vratsa in the First League's third regular season round on Sunday. The match, played at Ludogorets' home ground, finished with the hosts maintaining their unbeaten start to the campaign despite a dramatic late twist.
Bernard Tekpetey opened the scoring in the twenty-second minute with a well-taken goal. Botev responded just before the interval when Rwan Cruz equalised in the forty-fifth minute plus one. By then, the intensity had already begun to build between two teams with very different trajectories this season.
Petar Borukov turned the game in his favour with a seventy-second minute strike that put Ludogorets ahead once more. The visitors pushed for an equaliser but could not find the net, while their hosts had to weather a late storm after a controversial moment.
E. Rodriguez was sent off in the eighty-fourth minute after picking up a second yellow card, reducing Ludogorets to ten men. The dismissal came with just six minutes remaining, and the visitors substituted Martin Petkov to cover the defensive gap. It was a moment that changed everything.
Ludogorets dominated the statistics with fifty-two percent possession and five shots on target, though their accuracy sat at forty-two percent. Botev registered ninety attacks compared to seventy-four but managed only two shots on target with a twenty percent conversion rate. Many of their chances went begging.
The result keeps Ludogorets in second place with twenty points from eight games, still unbeaten with six victories and two draws. Botev remain tenth with seven points, their record of two wins, one draw and five defeats unchanged. The gap between the sides at the top and bottom of the table only widened.