Preview: Ferencvaros vs Ludogorets Razgrad – prediction, team news, lineups

Ferencvaros have a one-aim 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 edges met in Razgrad final week, leaving them susceptible to exiting the competitors at this stage in consecutive seasons.

Match preview

It seems like deja vu for Ferencvaros, who as soon as once more return to Budapest trailing from the primary leg of a Europa League knockout tie, having endured a heavy defeat at Viktoria Plzen on the identical stage final time period.

However, there’s higher trigger for optimism for Robbie Keane’s males this time, as they saved the scoreline respectable in Razgrad and, in fact, might really feel unlucky to have come away empty-handed after showing the higher facet.

With an xG of 1.57 to Ludogorets’ 0.47, 17 photographs in comparison with their hosts’ 10 and the higher share of possession, Yusuf Bamidele’s twenty seventh-minute equaliser in the end proved inadequate for Ferencvaros, who succumbed to Son’s second-half winner.

That outcome prolonged the Greens’ patchy kind within the Europa League, leaving them with only one win from their final 5 matches within the competitors (D2, L2), a run that noticed Keane’s males miss out on automated qualification for the final 16 by a single level.

Ferencvaros additionally strategy Thursday’s encounter battling an ominous pattern, having misplaced their final two knockout ties when internet hosting the second leg, although the Hungarian champions can draw encouragement from six wins of their final eight UEL video games (L2) on their very own turf.

In addition, the Greens can take confidence from their report in opposition to Ludogorets in Budapest, contemplating they’ve received three of their earlier 4 continental conferences on residence soil (L1), the final two by a number of-aim margins, together with a 3–1 victory within the league section this season.

Ferencvaros’ attacking edge was once more on show on the weekend, once they claimed a 3–1 win at MTK Budapest due to targets from Franko Kovacevic, Elton Acolatse and Adam Madarasz, a outcome that leaves the Greens second within the Hungarian top-flight table, three factors off the summit.

© Imago

In distinction, Ludogorets arrive on the again of a disappointing 2–1 defeat away to 10-man Botev Plovdiv, the place Idan Nachmias’s equaliser proved a false daybreak, because the Eagles conceded a stoppage-time winner in opposition to their depleted hosts.

That setback leaves the 14-time reigning Bulgarian champions susceptible to surrendering their home dominance, as they sit second within the league desk, 10 factors adrift of leaders ETO Gyor, with the defeat additionally bringing an finish to their six-match successful run.

That sequence included a slim however very important victory over Nice within the ultimate spherical of the league section, which secured the Eagles a knockout berth within the UEL for the primary time in 5 years, whereas final week’s success over Ferencvaros provides them the higher hand in pursuit of solely their second look within the competitors’s final 16.

However, the Razgrad giants have a poor report on the highway to deal with, having misplaced 13 of their final 20 Europa League principal-draw away fixtures (W1, D6), together with every of their earlier three.

Ferencvaros Europa League kind:

Ferencvaros kind (all competitions):

Ludogorets Razgrad Europa League kind:

Ludogorets Razgrad kind (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago / Gonzales Photo

Ferencvaros are prone to stay with out centre-again Stefan Gartenmann, who has been sidelined for the reason that starting of November by damage.

Ibrahim Cisse, Bence Otvos and Gabi Kanichowsky had been absent on the weekend in what gave the impression to be a relaxation determination, however all three ought to return to the lineup on Thursday.

Ferencvaros’ main scorer on this season’s Europa League, Bamidele, netted his third aim of the marketing campaign within the first leg and will return to the lineup after solely that includes in its place on the weekend.

However, Zsombor Gruber can be pushing for a spot up entrance after a formidable show final trip through which he registered an help, whereas Kovacevic stays a robust choice in Keane’s most well-liked two-man assault following his aim in that contest.

Ferencvaros should additionally cope with out Callum O’Dowda, who’s suspended after accumulating his third reserving of the marketing campaign within the first leg.

Dinis Almeida can be unavailable for a similar cause, leaving a notable hole within the coronary heart of Ludogorets’ defence, though head coach Per-Mathias Hogmo can flip to Nachmias as a reliable substitute.

Meanwhile, midfielder Aguibou Camara continues his restoration from muscle surgical procedure and isn’t anticipated again till round April.

Having discovered the online in his final two begins, together with the opener in final week’s first leg in Razgrad, Kwadwo Duah may return to steer the road after making a substitute look on the weekend.

Ferencvaros potential beginning lineup:

Grof; Gomez, Raemaekers, Szalai; Cisse, Kanichowsky, Otvos, Abu Fani, Nagy; Bamidele, Kovacevic

Ludogorets Razgrad potential beginning lineup:

Bonmann; Son, Nachmias, Verdon, Nedyalkov; Duarte, Naressi; Stanic, Nogueira, Vidal; Duah

We say: Ferencvaros 3-1 Ludogorets Razgrad (Ferencvaros win 4-3 on combination)

Ferencvaros had been arguably the stronger facet in Razgrad final week, and an identical efficiency on residence soil ought to be sufficient to show the tie of their favour, particularly given their robust report on this fixture on their very own turf.

The hosts have additionally received their final two matches at residence by a number of-aim margins, so with the backing of the Budapest crowd, they need to have sufficient to safe victory on the evening and progress total, with Ludogorets’ struggles in continental away fixtures additional reinforcing that view.

For information evaluation of the most definitely outcomes, scorelines and extra for this match please click here.