Ludogorets U16 “Eagle” scores twice against Luxembourg, all six Academy players impress

Six Ludogorets U16 players played pivotal roles in Bulgaria’s 3:1 win over Luxembourg in the opening match of the UEFA Development Tournament earlier today.

All six academy products, coached by Milen Marinov, started the match as part of the national team’s lineup. Goalkeeper Aleksandar Panayotov stood out with several crucial saves, while defender Timur Mustafa, midfielder Yastian Georgiev, full-back Preslav Stoykov, and forward Vasil Ivanov also made strong contributions on the pitch.

Leading the charge was captain Nikolay Popov, who was instrumental in the dominant victory, scoring two of Bulgaria’s three goals and wearing the captain’s armband with pride.

After a goalless first half, Popov broke the deadlock in the 48th minute, finding himself one-on-one with the Luxembourg keeper and making no mistake to put Bulgaria ahead. The momentum stayed with the young "Lions," who doubled their lead around the 60-minute mark. Luxembourg managed to pull one back in the 65th minute, but Popov sealed the victory with his second goal of the match, finishing off a blistering counterattack with a precise shot following a deep through-ball.

The tournament continues with two more fixtures for Bulgaria U16:

April 13 at 14:30 – Bulgaria U16 vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina U16

April 16 at 11:00 – Bulgaria U16 vs. Latvia U16