Rijeka vs Ludogorets: UEFA Champions League Prediction (23.07.2025)

On Tuesday, July 23 at 01:45 WIB, Rijeka will host Ludogorets from Razgrad at HNK Rijeka Stadium in the first leg of the 2025–2026 UEFA Champions League qualifying tie. The Croatian side reached this stage as national champions. The Bulgarian champions also topped their domestic league but had to go through a previous qualifying round, where they defeated Dinamo Minsk.

In the first leg between Rijeka and Ludogorets, bookmakers slightly favor the home team, but Ludogorets are given better odds of advancing to the next round. A win for Rijeka in this match is priced at 2.27, while their chances to qualify are set at 1.98. For Ludogorets, the odds are 3.32 to win the match and 1.83 to progress. A low-scoring game is expected: over 2.5 total goals is offered at 2.17, while both teams to score is priced at 1.87.

Rijeka

Radomir Djalovic took over during last season. Under his leadership, Rijeka achieved a domestic double, winning both the league and the national cup. The squad features many foreign players, mainly from other Balkan countries, but the core of the team is made up of local players. The most valuable assets remain two Croatian attacking midfielders — Toni Fruk and Niko Jankovic.

Ludogorets

Interestingly, Ludogorets had a similar coaching story. Igor Jovicevic joined the club in autumn and led the team to a domestic double. However, he stepped down this summer for personal reasons and was replaced by Portuguese coach Rui Mota. His debut has not been convincing. The “Eagles” barely edged out Dinamo Minsk 1–0 at home and lost 1–2 away. While Ludogorets controlled the first match, the second leg was evenly contested. With a stronger opponent ahead, they will need to show clear improvement.

Stats and Head-to-Head Record

The two sides have met only once before in a friendly match ten years ago, which Ludogorets won 2–1.

Prediction

Ludogorets have the advantage of having already played two competitive matches and getting into a competitive rhythm. A good betting option would be a combo: Ludogorets not to lose and total goals under 3.5, offered at 2.02.