Botev (Plovdiv) took a 2:1 lead over Zrinjski (Mostar) after the first leg of the third qualifying round of the Conference League. Samuel Akere put the “Canaries” ahead in the first half. After the break, Mario Cuze equalized, but with his debut goal for the “Yellow and Blacks,” Aleksa Maras secured a lead for his team before the second leg in Bosnia and Herzegovina next week.
The match at “Hristo Botev” Stadium started well for the “Yellow and Blacks,” with Akere’s shot in the 10th minute being saved by Marko Maric. Five minutes later, Zrinjski had their first chance, but Hans Kristian Bernat reacted well to a shot by Cuze. Midway through the first half, Christian Nwachukwu shot powerfully but missed the target. In the 25th minute, Akere skillfully beat Maric from outside the penalty area to give Botev the lead.
The early minutes of the second half were again dominated by the “Canaries.” A long-range shot by Ivelin Popov missed the goal, and Martin Sekulic couldn’t beat Maric from a clear position. Bernat made an excellent save in the 73rd minute when Nardin Mulahusejnović struck dangerously from the edge of the penalty area, but the Dane responded appropriately.
In the 77’, Cuze equalized with a precise shot, but Botev’s response was swift. Two minutes later, Aleksa Maras restored the lead for the “Yellow and Blacks” with his debut goal for the team. Just before the end of regular time, the Montenegrin could have scored a second time but was unable to beat Maric. James Eto’o also had a chance to score, but his long-range effort missed the target. In the opening seconds of added time, a good save by Bernat on another attempt by Cuze preserved Botev’s lead before the second leg in Mostar next week.
The second leg against Zrinjski in Mostar is next Thursday, August 15th, at 9:00 PM Bulgarian time (8:00 PM local time).
Botev’s starting lineup: 1. Hans Christian Bernat; 17. Nikolay Minkov, 5. Joonas Tamm, 19. Antoine Conte, 38. Konstantinos Balogiannis; 20. Antonio Perera, 15. James Eto’o; 40. Christian Nwachukwu, 10. Ivelin Popov (c), 7. Samuel Akere; 9. Martin Sekulic.
