Fairplay 6 - 0 MSV.DUISBURG-1976 (382596185)

A brilliantly sunny day had enticed a crowd of 32619 to Arena of Fairplay. Yohann Dumesnil was the appointed referee with assistance provided by Tom Håkansson and Eugen Nedelescu. Fairplay had chosen a strategic 5-3-2 formation. Starters: Velchev - Atanasov, Ivanov, Malev, Apostolov, Kraychev - Mitzov, Peev, Bonev - Stoichkov, Domuschiev.

A 3-4-3 alignment was the formation of choice for MSV.DUISBURG-1976. The following players had been chosen: Zlatkov - Matev, Bozhilov, Minkov - Mitov, Aalberts, Pablo, Martínez - Gerstbauer, Schichl, Weaver.

Fairplay were relying on their ability to counter-attack. MSV.DUISBURG-1976 displayed their ability to play creatively. With 5 minutes played, the home side managed to get a 1 - 0 lead as I. Stoichkov flipped the ball in after a cross from the right. Fairplay put themselves up 2 - 0 when P. Domuschiev broke through on the right, leaving the entire defence trailing in his wake. 17 minutes into the match, the speedy I. Stoichkov easily outpaced C. Matev, chipped the keeper and made the score 3 - 0. Confident in their lead, Fairplay's players relaxed and focused more on defending the lead than increasing it. After 18 minutes, K. Ivanov put Fairplay ahead 4 - 0 when he rose to head in a cross from the right wing. Fairplay's V. Bonev struck his penalty well enough to beat the goalkeeper and extend the home team's lead to 5 - 0 after 28 minutes. 5 - 0 was the score after the first half. Fairplay had most of the ball, with 53 percent of possession.

A. Mitzov had a fantastic opportunity to put Fairplay up another goal 61 minutes into the match, but he fired just over the crossbar. The sunny day didn't make things easy for K. Malev who didn't seem his usual powerful self on the pitch. Fairplay's G. Peev's long shot really ought to have found the net 74 minutes into the match, but it fell just wide of the target. MSV.DUISBURG-1976's C. Aalberts tried his best to narrow the score with a well placed free kick, but it wasn't quite good enough and G. Velchev managed to block the shot. With 76 minutes played, Fairplay's A. Mitzov almost extended the lead, but his shot from the left glanced off the top of the bar to fall behind the net. The visitors got a chance to pulling one back after 79 minutes, due to a defensive blunder leaving Y. Weaver completely unmarked. His strike was pathetic though, easy prey for the home side's keeper. Fairplay managed to extend their lead to 6 - 0 when K. Ivanov cut in neatly from the left side and struck a fine shot past the away team's goalkeeper. The opposing supporters gave the referee an earful when he only gave V. Bonev from Fairplay a yellow card after a mistimed challenge from behind 84 minutes into the game. That was far too lenient! Fairplay claimed to have seen most of the ball, and the statistics agreed with them - possession being 54 percent.

I. Stoichkov performed admirably for Fairplay. K. Ivanov on the other hand, had a terrible day. MSV.DUISBURG-1976's top performer was clearly Y. Weaver. V. Zlatkov was a disappointment, however. The match ends 6 - 0.