Ludogorets wants to turn things around

If Ludogorets Razgrad plays KF Ballkani, most football experts would probably have placed their betting tips on the team from Bulgaria. The sound of the name is familiar. This practically goes hand in hand with the status of favourites. But we are in the middle of the prediction for the Champions League qualification. The first leg is over and KF Ballkani won their home game 2-0. Now the second leg is just around the corner and Razgrad has to improve significantly. Is this possible within a week? The match will start on Wednesday, July 19 in the Huvepharma Arena in Razgrad.

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Ludogorets form

Ludogorets Razgrad is set in Bulgaria. The quality of the league there is considered higher than in Kosovo, where the closest competitor comes from. However, it seems that there is more... Because they lost their first two competitive games this year. Among them is the first leg against Ballkani. What speaks for Razgrad, however, is home law. They also became champions last season. They left CSKA Sofia a point behind. With 74 points and 72-21 goals, Ludogorets was the benchmark in the Parva Liga. That tally came about over 23 wins, five draws and just two losses. On top of that, the troops are allowed to play at home. There were 15 games in their own stadium last season. Among them were eleven wins, three points shared and only one bankruptcy. There are also 37-10 goals. Probably the biggest downer is the season-opening 23/24 with two defeats.

Ludogorets Razgrad certainly imagined the first two competitive games 23/24 differently. Because in the league there was a surprising 1-3 defeat as a guest at Krumovgrad. After just 17 minutes, the favorite was 0:2 behind. However, the interim connection did not bring about a turning point. Statistically, however, Razgrad was clearly superior in this duel. Therefore, the defeat can be dismissed as a slip. But the first leg against KF Ballkani was also lost. The Bulgarians conceded two goals. They could not contribute a goal of their own. Even the odds were balanced in the duel. During the pre-season some test games were completed. They won 2-0 at CS Universitatea Craiova. Also in the match against Lokomotiv Plovdiv the club won by 3-0 relatively sovereign. Finally, the 1-0 in the duel with Marek should be mentioned in this regard. Based on the last five games, there have been two losses and three wins.

Ballkani form

Strictly speaking, the KF Ballkani has had a good phase. Because the team from Kosovo won the championship, played a good preparation and, to top it off, won the first leg against Ludogorets Razgrad. Strictly speaking, there hasn't been a defeat for 13 games. In the Superliga, the club trailed Drita by three points. 73 points in 36 games were enough for the championship. There are 20 wins, 13 draws and only three defeats. The reigning champion scored 62 goals. Nevertheless, there were only 32 goals to see. On the other hand, KF Ballkani has to play away. In the league, there were nine successes abroad, eight draws and only one bankruptcy. There the club scored 31 goals and conceded 16 goals.

The most recent match of KF Ballkani took place against Ludogorets Razgrad. It was the first leg of the Champions League qualification. The team from Kosovo surprisingly celebrated a 2-0 victory. The match was designed at eye level. A test match was played beforehand. Because the season starts a little later in Kosovo. After all, there was a 2-2 against Struga. At the end of the Superliga, a 2-2 draw was also enough to confirm the championship. Before that it was 0-0 against KF Gjilani. On the other hand, there are also a few victories to be mentioned. In the Superliga, the club defeated Ferizaj 2-0. Furthermore, successes came about with 1-0 over KF Llapi and with 2-1 as a guest at Drita. In general, the streak of 13 games without defeat is a bit astonishing.

Ludogorets - Ballkani: What to expect? 

We would love to go into all sorts of statistics. However, clubs often play each other for the first time in the opening rounds of Champions League qualifying. After all, there was already a first leg between Ludogorets Razgrad and KF Ballkani. The players from Kosovo won this 2-0. The stats were similar, but the KF Ballkani showed greater precision in finishing. Even a narrow defeat in the second leg is enough to qualify for the next round.

The tendency towards under 2.5 goals can be deduced from the majority of the last results of both clubs. In addition, KF Ballkani can play defensively. Even the first leg was a tight affair. This could be the same in the second leg. The bookmakers see Razgrad as the clear favourite. But Ballkani proved the opposite a week ago. If we add the good betting odds, we opted for the double chance X2.

• Under 2.5
• Partizani Tirana to win (risk)

* All odds and markets are correct at the time of publication and subject to change.