Ludogorets vs Ferencváros: Overview

Ludogorets Razgrad and Ferencvárosi TC played out a tense 0-0 draw in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie at the Huvepharma Arena on August 6, 2025.

The Bulgarian champions, under new coach Rui Mota, dominated possession for large portions of the match but failed to convert their chances into goals. Erick Marcus came closest for the hosts when his spectacular long-range effort crashed against the crossbar in the 62nd minute, leaving Hungarian goalkeeper Dénes Dibusz beaten.

The visitors, led by Irish legend Robbie Keane, adopted a disciplined defensive approach but showed threat on the counter-attack. Ferencvárosi thought they had snatched a crucial away goal midway through the second half when Barnabás Varga headed home from close range, but VAR intervention ruled the striker was marginally offside.

The match was played in sweltering conditions with temperatures exceeding 30°C at kickoff, which noticeably affected the tempo as both teams struggled to maintain intensity for the full 90 minutes. Despite this, a passionate crowd of nearly 10,000 at the Huvepharma Arena created an electric atmosphere, with the home ultras unveiling an impressive tifo before kickoff celebrating the club's European journey.

This stalemate leaves the tie perfectly balanced ahead of next week's second leg in Budapest. Ludogorets will feel they had the better opportunities to secure an advantage but must now travel to Hungary knowing that Ferencvárosi have been formidable at home in European competition recently. The prize for the victor is a place in the Champions League playoff round, with the loser dropping into the Europa League qualifiers.

"We created enough chances to win today, but sometimes in European competition, you need that extra bit of luck or quality in the final third. I'm satisfied with our performance – we controlled the game for long periods and limited a dangerous Ferencvárosi side to few clear opportunities. The tie is still very much alive, and we'll go to Budapest confident we can get the result we need," said Rui Mota, Ludogorets head coach.

"A clean sheet away from home in Europe is always valuable. We defended with great discipline and organization against a Ludogorets team that has a lot of quality. The disallowed goal was frustrating, but these are the fine margins at this level. We're in a good position now returning to our home stadium where our supporters will create an incredible atmosphere," commented Robbie Keane, Ferencvárosi TC manager.

"It was a physically demanding match in difficult conditions. We had to stay focused throughout, especially when they put pressure on us in the second half. Hitting the crossbar was unfortunate, but we've shown we can create chances against them. We're confident we can finish the job in Budapest," explained Erick Marcus, Ludogorets midfielder.

"We came here with a clear plan and executed it well. Defensively we were solid, and we had moments where we could have stolen a win. The disallowed goal was disappointing, but that's football. At home, with our fans behind us, we'll have more possession and create more opportunities," stated Barnabás Varga, Ferencvárosi forward.

"This was a typical tight European qualifier between two evenly matched teams. Ludogorets perhaps shaded it on chances created, but Ferencvárosi's defensive discipline was impressive. The Hungarian side will be slightly happier with the result, taking Ludogorets back to what will be a hostile atmosphere in Budapest," analyzed Martin Petrov, former Bulgarian international and UEFA technical observer.

Possession: Ludogorets dominated with 58% compared to Ferencvárosi's 42%

Shots: The home side registered 14 attempts with 5 on target, while the visitors managed 8 shots with just 2 testing Hendrik Bonmann in the Ludogorets goal

Corners: Ludogorets forced 7 corners to Ferencvárosi's 3, reflecting their territorial advantage

Cards: The match saw 5 yellow cards in total – Bernhard Tekpetey for Ludogorets; Bence Ötvös, Callum O'Dowda, and Cebrails Makreckis all cautioned for Ferencvárosi TC

Passing: Ludogorets completed 437 passes (86% accuracy) compared to Ferencvárosi's 318 passes (79% accuracy)

Individual Performances:

Pedrinho was Ludogorets' most influential player, creating 4 chances and completing 6 successful dribbles, the most of any player on the pitch.

Erick Marcus dominated the midfield with 78 touches and 92% pass completion rate.

For Ferencvárosi, goalkeeper Dénes Dibusz made 5 saves, including a spectacular stop to deny Caio Vidal in the 73rd minute.

Defensively, Stefan Gartenmann was outstanding for the visitors, making 7 clearances and 4 interceptions.

Barnabás Varga, despite having his goal disallowed, led the line effectively for Ferencvárosi, winning 7 aerial duels and registering both of his team's shots on target.

17': Early warning for Ludogorets as Barnabás Varga's glancing header from Callum O'Dowda's cross drifted narrowly wide of Bonmann's far post.

32': First significant chance for the hosts – Pedrinho weaved through two defenders before firing a low drive that forced Dibusz into a smart save low to his right.

45+2': Yellow card for Bernhard Tekpetey after a late challenge on Cebrails Makreckis near the halfway line.

62': Closest either team came to breaking the deadlock – Erick Marcus unleashed a thunderous 25-yard strike that beat Dibusz but cannoned back off the crossbar.

67': DISALLOWED GOAL – Ferencvárosi thought they had taken the lead when Barnabás Varga headed in Gavriel Kanichowsky's free-kick, but after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was ruled out for a marginal offside.

73': Brilliant double save from Dibusz, first denying Caio Vidal from close range and then recovering quickly to block Tekpetey's follow-up attempt.

78': Tactical shift from Ludogorets as coach Rui Mota introduced an additional attacking midfielder, pushing for a late winner.

84': Ferencvárosi nearly stole it – substitute Alex Tóth's curling effort from the edge of the box flew inches wide with Bonmann beaten.

90+4': Final opportunity fell to Ludogorets as Anton Nedyalkov's powerful header from a corner was cleared off the line by Gábor Szalai – the last meaningful action of an intense encounter.

The history between Ludogorets Razgrad and Ferencvárosi TC has developed into an interesting European rivalry over recent years. Prior to this encounter, the teams had met four times in competitive fixtures, all in European qualification phases.

Their first meetings came in the 2019/20 Europa League qualifiers, where Ferencvárosi edged Ludogorets 5-3 on aggregate (1-1 in Bulgaria, 4-2 in Hungary) to reach the group stage. The teams met again in the 2022/23 Europa Conference League playoff round, with Ludogorets winning 2-1 on aggregate (1-0 at home, 1-1 away).

Overall, Ferencvárosi hold a slight historical advantage with two wins from four competitive matches against Ludogorets, who have secured one win and one draw. The Hungarian side has scored seven goals to Ludogorets' five in these encounters.

At the Huvepharma Arena specifically, the record now stands at one win for Ludogorets and two draws, with the Bulgarian side yet to lose at home to their Hungarian rivals.

In terms of individual matchups, the battle between Ludogorets captain Anton Nedyalkov and Ferencvárosi forward Barnabás Varga has been particularly noteworthy across their meetings. In this latest encounter, Nedyalkov largely contained Varga, though the Hungarian striker did have his disallowed goal and won several aerial duels.

The midfield contest between Erick Marcus and Bence Ötvös proved pivotal, with Marcus's greater technical ability contrasted by Ötvös's defensive discipline and tactical awareness. This pattern has been consistent across previous meetings between these well-matched sides.

The second leg in Budapest on August 12 promises to be another tight affair, with historical precedent suggesting home advantage could be significant for Ferencvárosi.

As this was a UEFA Champions League qualifying match, there is no league table to reference. However, the current qualification status for both teams in the competition can be assessed:

Ludogorets Razgrad entered the Champions League qualifying pathway as Bulgarian First League champions, beginning in the first qualifying round. They have already eliminated Dinamo Minsk (Belarus) and Rijeka (Croatia) to reach this third qualifying round tie against Ferencvárosi.

Ferencvárosi TC joined the competition in the second qualifying round as Hungarian champions, having already defeated FC Noah (Armenia) with a comfortable 6-4 aggregate victory to set up this clash with Ludogorets.

Both clubs are experienced European campaigners, with Ludogorets having reached the Champions League group stage twice in their history, while Ferencvárosi participated in the 2020/21 group stage.

The winner of this tie will advance to the playoff round – the final hurdle before the lucrative Champions League group stage. The defeated team will drop into the Europa League qualifiers, ensuring continued European competition this season.

According to UEFA's club coefficient rankings, Ferencvárosi (67.000 points) entered this tie marginally ahead of Ludogorets (64.000 points), reflecting their slightly stronger European performances in recent seasons.