Expect goals when Ludogorets travel to Beersheba

Champions League qualifier
Third round first leg, 6pm Wednesday

Bulgarian champions Ludogorets impressed with their refreshingly attacking approach in last season’s Champions League group stage and they can make their mark on their visit to Israel when they face Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the first leg of their third qualifying-round tie.

Ludogorets got little reward for their positive play in last term’s competition but they showed they were a decent side when earning well-deserved draws on tricky trips to PSG (2-2) and Basel (1-1).

The Bulgarians were unsurprisingly outclassed by Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal, losing 6-0 at the Emirates and 3-2 in Sofia, but they showed enough to suggest they could be Champions League regulars and they should get plenty of chances to trouble hosts Hapoel.

Georgi Dermendzhiev’s troops overcame Mladost Podgorica (5-0), Red Star Belgrade (6-4) and Viktoria Plzen (4-2) to reach last season’s main draw and their 5-2 aggregate win over Lithuanian outfit Zalgiris in the last round suggested their forward play is once again their greatest asset.

However, Hapoel Beer-Sheva are no mugs. The Israelis have won back-to-back domestic titles and they fell short at the final stage of qualification in last year’s competition, losing out 5-4 to Scottish champions Celtic.

The Camels notched twice in their defeat in Glasgow and gave Brendan Rodgers’ men a nervy finish when winning the return fixture 2-0. They have won all four of their Champions League home ties and are a tough nut to crack at their Beersheba base.

Nigerian duo Anthony Nwakaeme and John Ogu are central to their success, while frontman Ben Sahar - who has netted 19 times in 40 club appearances - may be quick to punish any Bulgarian mishaps.

Jonathan Cafu, Wanderson and Marcelinho are all tasty propositions going forward for Ludogorets but their problems lie defensively - they have conceded in their last eight competitive matches - and punters should bank on both teams making the net bulge.

Recommendation
Both teams to score
2pts 19-20 Hills

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