Ferencvaros have a one-goal deficit to overturn as they welcome Ludogorets Razgrad for the second leg of their Europa League knockout playoff in Budapest on Thursday.
The Hungarian champions suffered a 2–1 defeat when the sides met in Razgrad last week, leaving them at risk of exiting the competition at this stage in consecutive seasons.
Match preview
It feels like deja vu for Ferencvaros, who once again return to Budapest trailing from the first leg of a Europa League knockout tie, having endured a heavy defeat at Viktoria Plzen at the same stage last term.
However, there is greater cause for optimism for Robbie Keane’s men this time, as they kept the scoreline respectable in Razgrad and, in truth, may feel unfortunate to have come away empty-handed after appearing the better side.
With an xG of 1.57 to Ludogorets’ 0.47, 17 shots compared to their hosts’ 10 and the greater share of possession, Yusuf Bamidele’s 27th-minute equaliser ultimately proved insufficient for Ferencvaros, who succumbed to Son’s second-half winner.
That result extended the Greens’ patchy form in the Europa League, leaving them with just one win from their last five matches in the competition (D2, L2), a run that saw Keane’s men miss out on automatic qualification for the last 16 by a single point.
Ferencvaros also approach Thursday’s encounter battling an ominous trend, having lost their last two knockout ties when hosting the second leg, though the Hungarian champions can draw encouragement from six wins in their last eight UEL games (L2) on their own turf.
In addition, the Greens can take confidence from their record against Ludogorets in Budapest, considering they have won three of their previous four continental meetings on home soil (L1), the last two by multiple-goal margins, including a 3–1 victory in the league phase this season.
Ferencvaros’ attacking edge was again on display at the weekend, when they claimed a 3–1 win at MTK Budapest thanks to goals from Franko Kovacevic, Elton Acolatse and Adam Madarasz, a result that leaves the Greens second in the Hungarian top-flight table, three points off the summit.
© Imago
In contrast, Ludogorets arrive on the back of a disappointing 2–1 defeat away to 10-man Botev Plovdiv, where Idan Nachmias’s equaliser proved a false dawn, as the Eagles conceded a stoppage-time winner against their depleted hosts.
That setback leaves the 14-time reigning Bulgarian champions at risk of surrendering their domestic dominance, as they sit second in the league table, 10 points adrift of leaders ETO Gyor, with the defeat also bringing an end to their six-match winning run.
That sequence included a narrow but vital victory over Nice in the final round of the league phase, which secured the Eagles a knockout berth in the UEL for the first time in five years, while last week’s success over Ferencvaros gives them the upper hand in pursuit of only their second appearance in the competition’s last 16.
However, the Razgrad giants have a poor record on the road to contend with, having lost 13 of their last 20 Europa League main-draw away fixtures (W1, D6), including each of their previous three.
Ferencvaros Europa League form:
Ferencvaros form (all competitions):
Ludogorets Razgrad Europa League form:
Ludogorets Razgrad form (all competitions):
Team News
© Imago / Gonzales Photo
Ferencvaros are likely to remain without centre-back Stefan Gartenmann, who has been sidelined since the beginning of November through injury.
Ibrahim Cisse, Bence Otvos and Gabi Kanichowsky were absent at the weekend in what appeared to be a rest decision, but all three should return to the lineup on Thursday.
Ferencvaros’ leading scorer in this season’s Europa League, Bamidele, netted his third goal of the campaign in the first leg and could return to the lineup after only featuring as a substitute at the weekend.
However, Zsombor Gruber is also pushing for a place up front after an impressive display last time out in which he registered an assist, while Kovacevic remains a strong option in Keane’s preferred two-man attack following his goal in that contest.
Ferencvaros must also cope without Callum O’Dowda, who is suspended after collecting his third booking of the campaign in the first leg.
Dinis Almeida is also unavailable for the same reason, leaving a notable gap in the heart of Ludogorets’ defence, although head coach Per-Mathias Hogmo can turn to Nachmias as a dependable replacement.
Meanwhile, midfielder Aguibou Camara continues his recovery from muscle surgery and is not expected back until around April.
Having found the net in his last two starts, including the opener in last week’s first leg in Razgrad, Kwadwo Duah could return to lead the line after making a substitute appearance at the weekend.
Ferencvaros possible starting lineup:
Grof; Gomez, Raemaekers, Szalai; Cisse, Kanichowsky, Otvos, Abu Fani, Nagy; Bamidele, Kovacevic
Ludogorets Razgrad possible starting lineup:
Bonmann; Son, Nachmias, Verdon, Nedyalkov; Duarte, Naressi; Stanic, Nogueira, Vidal; Duah
We say: Ferencvaros 3-1 Ludogorets Razgrad (Ferencvaros win 4-3 on aggregate)
Ferencvaros were arguably the stronger side in Razgrad last week, and a similar performance on home soil should be enough to turn the tie in their favour, especially given their strong record in this fixture on their own turf.
The hosts have also won their last two matches at home by multiple-goal margins, so with the backing of the Budapest crowd, they should have enough to secure victory on the night and progress overall, with Ludogorets’ struggles in continental away fixtures further reinforcing that view.
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