After Years of Unsuccessful Matches Bulgaria Wins Against Sweden

The Bulgaria national football team has achieved a historic victory over its on of its biggest rivals in the last 25 years - Sweden. The Lions struck three times the Scandinavians in World Cup qualification for World Cup 2018 in Russia, winning 3:2, recording one of the sweetest victories for this century.

Among other things, this was also the first one over this rival for nearly 50 years. For the last time it happened in November 1967 (3:0), again in Sofia, but in European qualification.

Unfortunately, only about 11,000 spectators attended the Vasil Levski Stadium in this extremely dramatic clash. Stanislav Manolev (12), Georgi Kostadinov (33) and Ivaylo Chochev (79) scored the goals and the goalkeeper Plamen Iliev saved a penalty in the 16th minute. For Sweden, the goals scored in the first lalf were the work of Lustig (29) and Berg (44), who twice restored equality.

Petar Hubchev, the coach of the "lions", was sent off in the 18th minute by Referee Paolo Taliavento, after a violent protest against a decision by the Italian. The second half began with a more active play for the Scandinavians who could have scored a third goal within two minutes and completely overturn the game, but Iliev was at the top and protected his goal. Todor Nedelev substituted Milanov. The young Bozhidar Kraev replaced Manolev, who received a deserverd applause from the audience in the stands.

Three minutes later in the 79th minute the Bulgarian fans again erupted. Popov walked through the center frontly against Olsen's goal, then the he found Chochev, who with a 20-meter brilliant shot scored for 3:2 with his second goal for the representative team of the country. After a lot of battles and turmoils against the Swedes, the fans dreamed of a goal, and there it was.