When Ludogorets Razgrad take on Sutjeska Niksic in the first leg of their Champions League first qualifying round contest on Tuesday night, they will look to secure an advantage before returning to Razgrad for the second leg with kickoff at 8:45 pm.
Ludogorets ensured their spot in the first qualifying round of the Champions League by winning Bulgaria’s top flight for the 11th time in their history last season.
The Eagles played in the group stage of the 2014-15 Champions League, taking on Real Madrid, Basel and Liverpool. Last term, Ludogorets went all the way to the playoff round in their bid to make the group stage of Europe’s premier club competition, but they lost to Malmo 3-2 on aggregate, which saw them drop into the Europa League.
Ante Simundza’s side will be confident of progressing through this two-legged affair, and they will take on either Shamrock Rovers or Hibernians in the second qualifying round should Sutjeska be overcome.
In contrast, Sutjeska have never played in the group stage of the Champions League. The Blue and Whites fell at the second qualifying round for the Europa Conference League last term, losing 3-1 on aggregate to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
They fared better in Europe’s secondary club competition, however, securing a spot at this stage of the Champions League by winning the Montenegrin First League in 2021-22. They finished with 75 points from their 36 matches.
Ludogorets vs Sutjeska Head to Head
Both sides are yet to face against each other and this marks their first encounter. Here is a look at thei previous encounters:
Home
- Ludogorets 3-0 Nurnberg
- Ludogorets 0-3 Ferencvarosi
- Razgrad 1-1 Greuther Furth
- Ludogorets 1-0 Blau Weiss
Away
- FK Mladost 1-0 Sutjeska
- FK Surdulica 1-4 Sutjeska
- Spatak 1-0 Sutjeska
- Sutjeska 1-3 FK Mornar Bar
Ludogorets Team News
Head coach Simundza will need to assess the fitness of his players ahead of kickoff here, as Ludogorets have no confirmed injury problems. The Bulgarian side start their league season against Septemvri Sofia on July 8, with this two-legged affair coming either side of their first domestic fixture of the 2022-23 campaign.
FK Sutjeska Team News
Sutjeska have no injury worries ahead of this game; their league season does not start until July 23. The visitors have played three friendlies this summer, and head coach Savovic will need to ensure that his key players are ready for the challenge.
Prediction and Odds
Sutjeska may be able to make this an uncomfortable 90 minutes for Ludogorets, but we believe the home side should prevail in the first leg and ultimately progress on aggregate.
- Home Win
- Goals Over 2.5
- Both Teams to Score
