Both team’s had periods when they were on top in this match, with the first half being dominated by Levski Sofia who took the lead through Stalislav Ivanov via a set piece. Ivanov was particularly effective for Levski, with his movement and positioning creating openings for teammates and causing problems Slavia Sofia. Slavia reacted to this dominance, as the introduction of Georgi Yomov provided another attacking outlet in the second half alongside Filip Krastev who had previously been isolated. Slavia Sofia scored twice in the second period to turn the match on it’s head, with Filip Krastev finding the winner.
Ratings
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average in this match
Filip Krastev
Player profile:
- Nationality: Bulgarian
- Age: 18
- Date of birth: 15/10/2001
- Current Club: Slavia Sofia (On loan from Lommel SK)
- Career: Slavia Sofia (Y), Lommel SK
- Position: Centre Midfield
- Secondary Position: Attacking Midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
Krastev played as the attacking midfielder in Slavia’s 4-2-3-1 system and he was responsible for being his team’s source of creativity, and in a match where his team sometimes struggled for possession or toe create many chances, he was the difference maker.
His technical ability allowed him to be influential in midfield areas, as he is able to bring the ball under his spell under pressure and drive forward. He played between the opposition lines and with his excellent agility and first touch he has the ability to take the ball on the turn and get away from defenders. The 18 year old also occasionally dropped deep to offer another outlet when his team were struggling to get out of their own half.
Upon receiving the ball, he displayed the ability to bring it under control and beat his man or play quick first time passes to keep the ball moving, whilst he was able to take the ball in his stride easily even if running at pace. At stages where his team was struggling to threaten, he could inject pace into the attack and looked dangerous with his ability to beat defenders and quickly initiate the transiiton from defence to attack. Especially in the first half, the entire attack depended on him dribbling with the ball and finding teammates in dangerous areas in the final thrid using his good vision.
He was strong in physical duels even when put under intense pressure and this allowed him to bring his teammates’ wayward passes under control and retain possession in the opposition half. In the second half, and with the arrival of Georgi Yomov, the attack became less dependant on Krastev, but it was the 18 year old who scored the winner. Andrea Hristov stepped out of defence to find Krastev between the lines, whose body feitn opened up space for him to drive into the penalty area and find the back of the net with his left foot.
He varied his play based on the requirements of his team, as when they wanted ot be on the front foot, he would make sure to get into the final third and support the striker, but he struggled at times with his final ball. He needed to be more precise and composed with his final ball at stages, as he created space for himself with good movement but struggled to take full advantage of some promising positions.
Rating: A2
Andrea Hristov
Player profile:
- Nationality: Bulgarian
- Age: 21
- Date of birth: 01/03/1999
- Current Club: Slavia Sofia
- Career: Levski Sofia (Y), Slavia Sofia (Y), Cosenza (L)
- Position: Centre Back
- Preferred foot: Right
Andrea Hristov played as Slavia’s left centre back in this match. Physically, he is a strong player (191cm / 80kg), and he used this strength to be powerful when defending. He was effective when marking the attacker and allowed the forward little space to manoeuvre, directing him away from goal and limiting his options. When his team pressed higher, he displayed good reading of the game and positioning to sweep in behind the defence, whilst he was able to tackle his opponents well when called upon to do so.
Hristov is not the fastest but it did not have too much of a negative impact on him and he was still able to defend more than adequately. His strong physical presence and aggression help him a lot when defending, whilst his anticipation and quick adjustments in positioning also make him hard to beat. His height makes him a natural aerial presence and he used this effectively to deal with long balls.
With the ball at his feet, the 21 year old was confident using either foot to play simple passes, and although he rarely came under pressure, when he did he took very few risks and instead went back to the keeper of other defenders. When the opportunity presented itself, he tried to play long balls with either foot, but he was clever in possession and never lost the ball in dangerous areas or exposed his team to counter attacks. The centre back was happy to step out with the ball at his feet when under no pressure and drove forward to add another man to the attack. For the winning goal, he stepped out confidently and launched the attack that saw Filip Krastev score.
Hristov likes to use his natural physicality and athleticism to dominate defensively, though he could perhaps control his aggression better to avoid giving away needless fouls in bad areas. He is also effective in build up play which can be a rare commodity in a defender.
Rating: B1 / A2
Georgi Yomov
Player profile:
- Nationality: Bulgarian
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 06/07/1997
- Current Club: Slavia Sofia
- Career: Slavia Sofia (Y)
- Position: Right Wing
- Secondary Position: Second Striker / Left Wing
- Preferred foot: Right
After a difficult first half for Slavia Sofia, who struggled in attack, the introduction of Georgi Yomov on the 52nd minute had a positive impact on the team’s creativity and attacking threat.
He played on the right hand side of the attack and offered more width for the team, happy to maintain his wide position before making runs into the final third. Yomov was lively with the ball at his feet and was able to beat opponents and drive his team up the field. His pressing was effective and allowed him to recover the ball high up the pitch and launch counter attacks with his ability to run with the ball, and either cut inside or go around the outside. He varied his movement and runs in order to remain unpredictable and cause problems with or without the ball, whilst his passing and crossing was accurate and created chances for his team. 10 minutes after he came on, he set up the equaliser with a precise delivery with his right foot from a set piece into a dangrous area.
Yomov’s introduction had a significant impact on the attacking capability of his team, and it would be good to watch him play from the start to judge whether he can have as big an impact over 90 minutes. He is a technical player with the ability to cause problems for the opposition.
Rating: I will need to watch him during a longer period of a game.