Rijeka played their first official match of the new season in front of 7,700 home fans at Rujevica, finishing in a goalless draw against Bulgarian side Ludogorets in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round.
In a fairly balanced match, Rijeka had the slight upper hand, but will travel to Razgrad for the return leg without an advantage. The second leg will be played next Wednesday.
The Croatian champion started better and created their best chance early in the 12th minute. Fruk slipped a pass to Menalo, who found himself in a promising position, but his shot was blocked. As usual, much of Rijeka’s attacking play ran through Fruk, who was energetic and creative throughout the match.
Radeljić had an attempt after a corner, followed shortly by Ludogorets’ first real chance in the 14th minute when Vidal fired just wide of the post.
Ludogorets came closest to scoring around the 30-minute mark. After a nice exchange between Son and Marcus, Vidal once again found himself in front of goal, but this time his shot went over the crossbar. A minute later, Fruk took matters into his own hands after a series of build-ups and passes, unleashing a shot from 15 meters out, but the visiting goalkeeper was equal to the task.
The first half was marked by frequent stoppages and visible nervousness on both sides. Rijeka’s best opportunity may have come in the 39th minute when Fruk once again led the charge, only to miss the target with his final attempt.
Ludogorets had the first notable chance of the second half. In the 53rd minute, Radeljić made an error that allowed Tekpetey to shoot from 20 meters, but his effort went wide. Six minutes later, Rijeka responded with a chance of their own. Summer signing Dantas had a look at goal, but the Portuguese midfielder couldn’t find the target.
Fruk once again showed flashes of brilliance in the 68th minute. He dribbled down the flank, entered the box, but his shot lacked power and was easily handled by the Ludogorets keeper Bonmann. In the 75th minute, Ludogorets defender Verdon found himself unmarked after a corner kick, but squandered the opportunity by blasting the ball well over the crossbar.
Rijeka pushed harder in the closing stages, clearly eager for a goal and a home win. Rukavina and Fruk both had chances, but couldn’t convert, leaving the first leg between the Croatian and Bulgarian champions goalless.
The second leg in Razgrad will be played next Wednesday. Should Rijeka advance past the slightly favored Bulgarians, they will face the winner of the tie between Hungary’s Ferencváros and Armenia’s Noah in the third qualifying round.
