OFK Pirin lost 3:1 away to Slavia Sofia and will compete in Group A of the second of eight Super League teams with Slavia, Black Sea and Vitosha.
Pirin won his visit to CSKA - Sofia from the 29th round of the First League with 2:1.
Vitalis Jagodinskis opened the scoring in the 14th minute, but in the 26th Fernando Karanga equalized. In the 79th minute, Ivan Tasev scored the winning goal after a famous shot with his right foot.
Thus, Pirin won for the first time in a championship away game against this rival in Sofia and continued his good performance through 2024 years under the leadership of Alexander Babich.
CSKA – Sofia 1:2 Pirin (Blagoevgrad)
In the 14th minute, Pirin shocked the hosts, discovering the result through Jagodinskis. The football player of “greens” scored from a meter in front of the goal after a cross from a corner and bad positioning of several defenders in red.
In the 22nd minute, Tasev found himself alone against Busato after a counterattack, taken by Babu, but it didn't hit the door.
“The red ones” they quickly recovered after the goal and equalized in the 26th minute. That's what Karanga did, who headed home from a corner kick.
In the 38th minute, Heinz decided to surprise Kovalev and shot at a small angle from a foul, but the guard of our team knocked out. Seconds later and Karanga shoots from a good position in the box, and after a ricochet at the foot of a defender, the ball went into the corner past the right post.
Just two minutes later, Vion extended a long pass to Yuga, who brought Asprila attractively with a fifth face to face with Kovalev, and the striker's powerful blow shook the crossbar.
The home side's pressure continued until the end of the half and in the 43rd minute they had an opportunity to completely turn things around. Karanga played well to Carreasso, who took the ball and shot from the penalty spot, but right into the hands of Kovalev.
However, Pirin's counterattacks continued to be extremely dangerous. In the 45th minute, Comano escaped once again from the central defenders of “the reds” and stood alone against Busato, but the keeper quickly closed the gap and knocked the striker's shot into a corner.
The second half started with a great chance for Pirin. Comano broke away from the right in the penalty area, waited for Tasev and led him at an angle against Busato, and the Bulgarian striker aimed for the left post.
In the 49th minute, Comano broke free from Koch and shot from the edge of the penalty area, but Busato caught.
The positions in front of the two doors continued to decline, as in the 56th minute Yuga missed a header after a cross from a corner, because he shoots over the crossbar.
In the 70th minute, Dianne was left uncovered when crossing from a corner and sent a frontal header from 6-7 m, but right into Busato's hands.
In the 76th minute, Vion crossed for Heinz, and the Norwegian's header went inches wide of the left post. Seconds after in game for “the Reds appeared De Neuer, who returned to the field after nearly a year's absence.
Pirin responded with a killer counter in the 79th minute. With her, Tasev mastered a long pass, coped with Cordoba and after a right-footed cannon shot from the edge of the penalty area he poked the ball into the top left corner of “the red one” the door.
Until the end, our boys held on for victory.
CSKA – SOFIA – PIRIN 1:2
1:0 Vitalis Jagodinskis 14, 1:1 Fernando Caranga 26, 1:2 Ivan Tasev 79
CSKA – SOFIA: 1. Busato, 13. Cordoba, 4. Koch, 22. Makhmutovich, 15. Vion, 21. South, 7. Skarshem, 14. Heinz, 26. Careaso, 9. Karanga, 30. Aspril
PIRIN: 12. Kovalev, 4. Ayub Abu, 73. Bengyuzov (82-13.Evgeni Georgiev), 28. Jagodinskis, 27. Varbanov, 14. Polonsky (68-16.M. Georgiev), 11. Tasev (87-20.Greetings), 8. Boyanov, 77. Diane, 19. Komano (82-29.Kostov), 18. Bye bye (68-38.Дюлгеров)
We are pleased to announce, that Evgeni Georgiev signed his first professional contract with our club.
The youth of Pirin, who plays as an attacking midfielder, made his debut for the representative team in the First League under the guidance of the mentor Oleksandr Babic in the visit of Botev (Vratsa) in February. He then came on as a reserve in five more championship matches.
We wish Evgeni much success with the Pirin jersey!
Pirin finished 0:0 at the visit of Slavia in a match of the 27th round of the First League. Thus, the "eagles" recorded their 6th game in a row without a loss and are now in 13th place in the standings – at a point in front of the 14th Locomotive (Sofia), which is a game less.
Guard Maxim Kovalev demonstrated his class on several occasions and made excellent saves. Thus, quite deservedly, he was chosen for “Player of the match” by television viewers of the meeting. Once, the crossbar stopped the home team after Ivaylo Markov's header.
In the 3rd minute, Jugo Comano took advantage of a mistake by the goalkeeper Vutsov, who dropped the ball after Jelenkovic's return. The battering ram of “eaglets” I'm not, but as he set himself up to shoot from a tight angle into the empty net, a defender in white clears in a corner.
Three saves followed by Kovalev, who deflected Nikolov's blows, Sorakov and Stoev.
In the 35th minute, Yordanov made a dangerous shot at the home team's goal, but Vutsov dived and deflected. The guard of “bleach” intervened appropriately once more, when in the 39th minute he caught Diane's shot from 17-18 m.
Ten minutes after the break, Slavia was close to opening the score. Markov headed a cross from a corner and sent the ball into the right side post. Seconds later, Stoev shot from twenty meters and made it difficult for Kovalev, who, however, once again intervened qualitatively and knocked out.
In the 63rd minute, Kovalov made another save after Minchev's pass and Nikolov's header. It was followed by a cross from the corner and Markov's kick in the out.
In the closing seconds of the meeting before “bleach” another good scoring chance opened up, but the reserve Galin Ivanov shot over the goal from 16-17 m.
On Sunday, 7 April, from 20.15 no. Pirin welcomes the champion Ludogorets in a match of the 28th club of the First League.
SLAVIA: 21. Вуцов, 3. Tombak, 5. Jelenkovich, 55. Markov, 37. Kerchev, 19. Nguyen, 71. Stoyanov, 73. Minchev, 8. Stoev, 9. Sorakov, 10. Nikolov
PIRIN: 12. Kovalev, 6. Jordanov, 18. Luzayadio, 7. Donchev (90+3-20.It happened), 73. Bengyuzov (88-13.E. Georgiev), 28. Jagodinskis (46-4.Job), 14. Polonsky (68-27.Varbanov), 77. Diane, 5. Bodurov, 83. Popadian, 19. Komano