Third time unlucky as Fradi fall to Ludogorets

Ferencváros had beaten the Bulgarian club home and away in Champions League qualifying earlier this season but their third meeting in the space of three months was a much different affair, Jody Lukoki's first-minute strike settling the visitors before Rafael Forster's thumping free-kick doubled the lead. Dragos Grigore's red card before half-time sparked home-team hopes of a recovery but Forster's second goal on 64 minutes sealed a deserved victory.

There had been plenty of noisy home support for Rebrov's men but that passion was put to the test immediately when Fradi endured the worst possible start, Anton Nedyalkov finding space behind home right-back Gergő Lovrencsics and latching onto a superb pass down the left channel from Wanderson before crossing with the outside of his right foot for the unmarked Jody Lukoki to calmly dispatch the ball past a helpless Dénes Dibusz just six metres from goal.

This early, most unexpected of blows came after just 37 seconds and for the most of the rest of the half, the pattern was set; against a backdrop of constant singing and chanting from the 16,163 impressive home fans, the Bulgarian team piled the pressure on the home team.

For the time being though, Dibusz was equal to Ludogorets' efforts, Fradi's goalkeeper first blocking Claudiu Keșerü's shot after he'd been put clean through by Nedyalkov's lofted, 15th-minute through ball from his own half, then leaping acrobatically to his right just before the half-hour mark to beat away Wanderson's volley into the ground at the far right post following Lukoki's deep, left-wing cross.

There were moments of hope for the 2019 Hungarian league champions, for example when midfielder Oleksandr Zubkov fed Lovrencsics and his low, right-wing cross was unfortunately missed by Franck Boli arriving in the six-yard box, or when Tokmac Nguen's rasping 20-metre drive in the 38th minute only just cleared the crossbar.

These were isolated moments though and Ludogorets continued to threaten regularly. Claudiu Keșerü failed to score from a tight angle at the far left post but the second hammer blow to Fradi hopes was just around the corner, Rafael Forster's howitzer of a free-kick from fully 30 metres rising all the time as it arrowed towards the top-left corner of the hosts' goal in the 40th minute.

The game looked over already but a lifeline appeared in the 42nd minute when Ludogorets defender Dragos Grigore was dismissed for a second bookable offence. For a while in the second half, it seemed as if a Fradi goal was just seconds away as they camped in the visitors' half but despite most of the possession, there were only two moments of real danger, both chances falling to Nguen whose low, stroked shots from the left side of the penalty area toward the far, right, bottom corner of the away-team net were palmed away by Plamen Iliev stretching down to his left. Then came the confirmatory concession, Brazilian Forster's flicked, near-post header from Wanderson's inswinging, left-wing corner extending Ludogorets' lead to 3-0 and ensuring the three points would heading to Bulgaria.

Ferencváros continued to drive forward when they could but wayward shooting rendered their attacking instincts irrelevant, Isael blazing over the crossbar twice within two minutes when well-placed on the right and then the left side of the penalty area before substitute Michal Škvarka scooped the ball into the crowd after neat interplay by his teammates down the right had found him in space in a central position 15 metres out. There would be no consolation goal though.

Ferencváros are now third in Group H on one point, one ahead of CSKA Moscow who crashed 2-0 at home to Espanyol in Moscow tonight. The Spanish La Liga club sit on four points, two behind Ludogorets, courtesy of two wins from their first two games, have six.

UEFA Europa League, Group H, 2nd matchday:

Ferencváros 0-3 Ludogorec (BUL) (HT: 0-2)
Goalscorers: Lukoki (1), Rafael Forster (40, 64)
Red card: Grigore (43)

Ferencváros: Dibusz - Lovrencsics, Blažič, Frimpong, Heister - Sigér (Signevich, 73), Kharatin - Zubkov (Varga R, 79), Nguen, Isael - Boli (Škvarka 73)
Ludogorec: Iliev - Cicinho (Ikoko 69), Grigore, Rafael Forster, Nedyalkov - Lukoki (Goralski 57), Anicet Abel, Badji, Wanderson - Keserü, Marcelinho (Moti 46)