The Bulgarian vice-champion failed to secure a lead in its first international appearance this season and left the hall in Bucharest with a 0:3 (21:25, 22:25, 16:25) defeat against local Dinamo in a match from the 1/16 finals of the CEV Cup.
The first two sets offered an even game and real opportunities for the Plovdiv team to at least achieve a partial comeback, but the Romanian team demonstrated greater resilience in crucial rallies. In the third set, the hosts took full control and closed out the match without hesitation.
Todor Valchev was the top scorer for Lokomotiv with 10 points, a +6 efficiency rating, 4 aces, 38% positive and 31% perfect reception, and a 35% attack success rate. Kristiyan Aleksov also contributed 10 points, +3, 1 ace, 2 blocks, 62% positive and 43% perfect reception, plus 41% attack efficiency. Despite their good performance, it proved insufficient against Dinamo's powerful machine.
For the Romanians, Paul Mircea Peța finished with 18 points. Petar Premović, who has played in our domestic league, scored 12, and the Brazilian Jonatas Cardoso – 11.
Team statistics highlighted Dinamo's superiority in key elements:
| Dinamo Bucuresti | Lokomotiv Avia Plovdiv | |
|---|---|---|
| Attack points | 41 | 28 |
| Blocks | 7 | 8 |
| Aces | 9 | 5 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 17 | 18 |
| Total points | 74 | 59 |
Dinamo decisively won the advantage in attack – 41 against 28 points, which had the greatest impact on the final result. The Romanians were also more effective from the serve, where they recorded almost double the number of direct points. Although blocking was relatively even, the total score (74 against 59) demonstrated the hosts' higher efficiency and stability.
The return leg is onJanuary 6 in Plovdiv. Lokomotiv Avia needs a 3:0 or 3:1 victory to send the clash into a golden set. Any other outcome will end their European journey this season.
