Neftochimic recorded a convincing 3:0 (25:18, 25:20, 25:17) victory over CSKA in the much-anticipated derby match, which took place in the "Boycho Branzov" hall in Burgas. The captain of the Burgas team, Aksel Truhchev, was outstanding, finishing with 17 points (including 3 aces and 1 block). Overall, the hosts' serve was excellent, resulting in 12 points from serves. The other weapon was reception, where Neftochimic outperformed their opponent, recording 36% perfect reception against 19%. The hosts also had an advantage in blocking, where they won 9 points against only 2 for the Reds.
The match will also be remembered for Radoslav Parapunov's first appearance in a CSKA jersey. His appearance in an official match, albeit for a few minutes, put an end to speculations that he might go to play abroad.
Another memorable presence was the injured center of Neftochimic, Simon Krajcovic, who played the entire match with a mask on his face and finished with 8 points (including 3 blocks). He also became the MVP of the match.
It became clear in the very first game that there would be no derby. From the very beginning of the set, the hosts took a lead, which at times reached five points in the middle of the game (15:10). Parapunov, who entered at the end of the game, registered one unsuccessful attack after being blocked for 21:16 in favor of the Burgas team. The first game point came at 24:17 after a block-out by Farina. The Pole again ended the first set on the second attempt.
In the second set, the "Reds" tried to make it interesting, leading 8:5. Gradually, the hosts increased the pressure, equalizing the score three times (9:9, 10:10, 11:11, 12:12). After that, they took a comfortable lead, which they maintained until the end of the set, concluded with an attack by Rozalin Penchev on the first attempt.
In the third set, CSKA led briefly, but the hosts were on the rise and, led by the ubiquitous Truhchev, accumulated point after point. The substitutions made by Sasho Popov, who took out Nikolay Penchev, whose attack and reception were not effective, did not help. Popov was forced to also substitute captain Bozhilov, who was "penetrated" in reception several times.
Gradually, the difference began to swell in favor of the Burgas team, reaching a 10-point lead (19:9), and at the very end, 12 (22:19). After that, the match was played out, with the "Reds" showing signs of waking up after 24:14, which only led to winning three consecutive points. Rozalin Penchev ended the match. Thus, "Neftochimic" recorded its second victory, placing it fifth in the temporary standings. Levski's team is at the top with three wins and no lost sets.
In another match, Beroe also achieved its second victory since the start of the season, beating the underdog and last-placed (12th) team Hebar (Pazardzhik) 3:0 (25:20, 25:15, 25:17). Montana and Cherno More (Varna) took 3:2 set victories over Dobrudzha and Pirin (Razlog) respectively.
photos: NVL
