Champions League Preview: Crusaders -v- Ludogorets

CRUSADERS

It's a case of damage limitation for Crusaders as they welcome Bulgarian side Ludogorets to Seaview nursing a seven-goal deficit (kick-off 8pm).

The Premiership champions were second best all over the park in Razgrad last week but will have the safety net of a Europa League tie to fall back on.

Stephen Baxter's side will face the winner of Olimpija Ljubljana of Slovenia or Qarabag of Azerbaijan, and will use this second leg as a learning experience.

"They're a classy outfit so we we'll try to draw up a gameplan to contain them as best we can and try to find a route to goal," said Baxter.

"We played Copenhagen a few years ago and they were the best team we had played up until that point but this team shift the ball about so quickly.

“Their movement and speed off the ball is incredible and exceptional to watch. It was an uphill task for us, a really tough tie, but we will learn so much from it.

"We wilted after chasing them for an hour and the goals began to flow at the end of the game.

"We put so much work in and for a good 25 minutes we held a good shape and played particularly well until we conceded the first goal.

"There are some positives in there I'm trying to take from it and I'm trying to get a gameplan together for the second leg to give us some sort of opportunity."

Captain Colin Coates and fellow defender Sean Ward miss out once again as they're on holidays.

LUDOGORETS

Ludogorets achieved the biggest winning margin of their European history when they overcame Crusaders 7-0 in the first leg in Razgrad last week.

The Bulgarian champions led just 1-0 at half time through Marcelinho but cut loose in the second half as Jakub Swierczok scored a seven-minute hat-trick.

Marcelinho again and Claudiu Keseru also scored for the home side, while Rodney Brown put through his own net to compound the misery.

Referee: Roomer Tarajev (Estonia).

BETTING

Crusaders 12/1; Draw 11/2; Ludogorets 1/6.

PREDICTION

Crusaders 0 – 3 Ludogorets

Crusaders

Injured: None.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.

Unavailable: Colin Coates, Sean Ward (holidays).

Ludogorets

Injured: None.

Doubtful: None.

Suspended: None.