Verdict: Home win
Best odds: 19/20
Bookmaker: ZetBet
With the tie finely poised, Ludogorets Razgrad will host HNK Rijeka at Huvepharma Arena on Wednesday in the second leg of their Champions League second round qualifier.
The Eagles will look to build on their victory earlier in the week, while Rijecki Bijeli aim to snap a losing streak in Champions League qualifying matches.
Ludogorets Razgrad
Rui Mota̢۪s Ludogorets reached the Europa League league phase in 2024/25, and this season they̢۪ll be aiming to qualify for UEFA̢۪s premier competition.
To reach the second qualifying round, the Eagles edged past Dinamo Minsk 3-2 on aggregate, securing a 1-0 win at home before a dramatic 2-2 draw in the away leg.
In the opening leg of their current tie, Mota̢۪s men were held to a 0-0 draw. While they may regret not converting any of their nine chances, the coach will be satisfied to return home with the tie level.
With even a narrow win enough to take them through, Ludogorets will take heart from back-to-back home victories in recent outings.
Supporters will also be encouraged by the team̢۪s defensive form at Huvepharma Arena, where they̢۪ve kept consecutive clean sheets and scored six goals across those two matches.
Team News
Ludogorets are expected to go with a forward pairing of Erick Marcus and Yves Erick Bile on Wednesday, supported by wing-backs Caio Vidal and Son.
At the back, Rui Mota is likely to stick with a three-man defence of Olivier Verdon, Edvin Kurtulus, and Anton Nedyalkov, shielding goalkeeper Hendrik Bonmann.
HNK Rijeka
Radomir Dalovic̢۪s Rijeka last reached the league or group stage of a UEFA competition in 2020/21, when they qualified for the Europa League.
Since then, Rijecki Bijeli have fallen short in the playoff rounds, most recently suffering a heavy 6-1 aggregate defeat to Olimpija Ljubljana in August 2024.
In the first leg of this tie, Dalovic̢۪s side were left frustrated after failing to secure a lead at Stadion HNK Rijeka, and their lack of discipline in the final third was evident, with six offsides compared to Ludogorets̢۪ one.
Chasing a place in the Champions League, Rijeka fans may be concerned by their team’s poor away form â€" just one win in their last six road matches, alongside one draw and four defeats.
However, they can draw some optimism from losing just two of their last nine games in total, a run dating back to May.
Team News
Toni Fruk is expected to lead the line for Rijeka, supported by Merveil Ndockyt and Luka Menalo on either flank. The midfield trio will likely consist of Tiago Dantas, Niko Jankovic, and Dejan Petrovic.
In defence, Ante Orec and Mladen Devetak should operate as the full-backs, providing width around centre-halves Ante Majstorovic and Stjepan Radeljic.
Conclusion
Ludogorets have recorded consecutive clean sheets heading into this decisive encounter, and that defensive resilience could prove crucial in a tie likely to be settled by fine margins.
Adding to their confidence, Rijeka’s away form has been shaky in recent months â€" the Croatian side have lost four of their last six matches on the road, a trend that could play into the Bulgarian champions’ hands on Wednesday night.
Verdict: Home win
Best odds: 19/20
Bookmaker: ZetBet