Basel 4 : 0 Ludogorets Razgrad - Basle raise hopes with rout
Posted Wednesday, November 05, 2014 by PA
Basle boosted their hopes of qualifying from Champions League Group B with an emphatic 4-0 win over Ludogorets at St Jakob-Park.
First-half goals from teenager Breel Embolo and Derlis Gonzalez put the hosts in control, and further strikes after the interval from Shkelzen Gashi and Marek Suchy sealed matters as the Swiss side made light of the injury-enforced absence of captain Marco Streller.
The result earned Paulo Sousa's team a measure of revenge after Ludogorets posted their first ever Champions League triumph at the expense of the Swiss side in Sofia a fortnight ago.
Ludogorets' Vladislav Stoyanov was much the busier of the two goalkeepers in the early stages, tipping a second-minute effort from Gonzalez around the post and turning a curling 30-yard free-kick from Luca Zuffi away for a corner.
Basle keeper Tomas Vaclik was called into action just before the half-hour mark, but was not overly stretched in keeping out a Mihail Aleksandrov blast from just outside the area, and soon after his side took the lead.
Fabian Frei fed Embolo and the Cameroon-born 17-year-old showed good strength before firing home from 12 yards in the 34th minute.
Seven minutes later the hosts grabbed a second goal, and it came in similar fashion. Frei was again the architect, and this time it was Paraguay forward Gonzalez who coolly slotted his shot into the bottom-right corner - before being booked for leaving the pitch in celebration.
Vaclik saved with his feet in first-half stoppage time to deny Aleksandrov and preserve Basle's two-goal cushion at the interval.
Embolo turned provider after the break, teeing up Gashi for a simple left-footed finish at the back post just before the hour mark.
And Suchy made it four in the 65th minute, poking into the top-right corner after Luca Zuffi's corner had fallen kindly for him.
The margin of victory could have been even greater had Embolo not seen his close-range attempt blocked by Stoyanov two minutes from time.
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