Bulgaria round-up: CSKA held in Pleven

PFC CSKA Sofia lost ground on leaders PFC Levski Sofia on Saturday as they could only manage a goalless draw at PFC Spartak Pleven.

False start for Simoni
In Luigi Simoni’s first game in charge of the Bulgarian Professional League club, CSKA were frustrated by Pleven, Levski's satellite club. Captain Luboslav Penev should have done better with a 36th-minute chance, and Yordan Lechkov thought he had scored the decisive goal five minutes from time, only for his strike to be ruled out for offside.

Litex gain ground
Fellow European challengers PFC Litex Lovech had a happier afternoon as they won 2-0 away at PFC Beroe and are now level on points with CSKA. Stefan Yurukov and captain Hristo Yovov scored the goals for the visitors, who remain in third place on goal difference.

Slavia triumph in Sofia
In the first Sofia derby of 2002, PFC Slavia Sofia narrowly got the better of PFC Lokomotiv Sofia with Yordan Petkov scoring the only goal of the game with a fine header at the end of the first half. Slavia hit the post three times in the second period but by the end of the game both sides had been reduced to ten men with Lokomotiv’s Borislav Georgiev and Slavia’s Asen Nikolov both dismissed.

Deadlock in Dupnitze
Two men also saw red in the 0-0 draw between PFC Marek and PFC Spartak Varna - the home side's Anton Evtimov and the visitors Dian Donchev seeing red for fighting. PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv's Ivan Paskov was also sent off in the game at PFC Cherno More, which finished 1-1. In Saturday's remaining match, PFC Chernomorets Burgas ran out comfortable 3-0 winners over PFC Belasitsa.