Markus Gisdol's CSKA Sofia grind past Nesebar into Bulgarian Cup last 16
The German coach saw a 2-0 win at second-tier Nesebar, with both goals coming very late. Nordsjaelland await on Thursday, followed by the derby against Ludogorets on 26 October.
Archive image · Photo: Biser Todorov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
German coach Markus Gisdol and CSKA Sofia made a winning start to the defence of their Bulgarian Cup title. In the round of 32 on Sunday, the club won 2-0 at second-tier Nesebar, but both goals came right at the end. Ioannis Pittas converted a penalty for handball in the 89th minute, and Mohamed Brahimi sealed the result six minutes into stoppage time. Earlier, a Brahimi cross had struck the woodwork, while Nesebar had a good chance shortly before half-time.
Gisdol complained about the heavy pitch in Nesebar. "On a pitch like this the ball moves more slowly and it is hard to find solutions," he said, according to the BTA news agency. According to Fakti.bg, he also said: "We want to be as aggressive as possible." Two CSKA players were substituted with injuries; Gisdol said it was too early to assess them and that the medical staff would examine them. "I want to have two options in every position," the coach added.
The schedule remains packed: on Thursday CSKA visit Danish side Nordsjaelland in the second round of the Conference League phase. According to Sportal.bg, the round-12 league match against Ludogorets will not be postponed after talks between Gisdol and Valentin Iliev. The derby is set for Monday, 26 October, at 7:30 pm at the Vasil Levski National Stadium.