CSKA Sofia Edge Derry City in First Leg of UEFA Europa League Tie
CSKA Sofia came from behind to secure a 3-2 victory over Derry City in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League first qualifying round tie. The Bulgarian outfit dominated the opening stages of the match, creating several scoring opportunities before Ioannis Pittas broke the deadlock with a stunning curling strike in the 20th minute.
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The Candystripes, however, refused to give up and equalized just 11 minutes later when Liam Boyce fired Michael Duffy’s free-kick into the back of the net. Bruno Jordao restored CSKA Sofia’s advantage on 53 minutes, and Pittas continued his fine form by netting the home side’s third goal.
Derry City kept pushing until the final whistle, with James Olayinka narrowing the gap with one minute to go. Tiernan Lynch’s side will now host the Bulgarian outfit at the Brandywell on 16 July in the second leg of the tie.
CSKA Sofia’s Dominance in the First Half
CSKA Sofia’s persistence paid off in the first half, with Pittas and Petko Panayotov coming close to breaking the deadlock. The home side dominated the opening stages, asking questions of Brian Maher with several shots on goal.
Pittas’ stunning curling strike in the 20th minute opened the scoring for CSKA Sofia, and the home side continued to push for an even more comfortable lead. However, Derry City’s determination and resilience kept them in the game.
Derry City’s Late Rally
Derry City’s late rally was sparked by Nick Twisk’s introduction to the game. The new signing attempted to make an instant impact, winning back possession for Derry and passing to Duffy, whose lovely flick-on was converted by Boyce.
However, the goal was ruled out due to Boyce’s strayed offside in the build-up. Twisk continued to impress, thwarting Stefano Sensi’s effort and making an impact at the other end of the field.
The home side continued to push for an even more comfortable lead, with Patrick McClean diverting another shot from Sensi before Jordao fired well wide. During a frantic final 10 minutes, Derry pushed forward, but neither James McClean nor James Olayinka could keep their efforts on target.
However, there was another goal to come, with the home side unable to clear a Derry corner, and Olayinka able to head home to keep the Derry City fans’ hopes of keeping the European dream alive.
