Bulgaria round-up: CSKA solid at top

PFC CSKA Sofia have preserved their six-point lead at the top of the Bulgarian Premier League thanks to a comfortable 3-1 defeat of PFC Slavia Sofia.

Rebound strike
Portuguese forward João Paulo Brito opened the scoring in the eighth minute by lobbing Slavia goalkeeper Slavcho Toshev. Bulgarian Under-21 defender Yordan Todorov doubled the lead on the half-hour mark, tapping in a rebound from a Todor Yanchev shot which had cannoned off the crossbar.

Consolation effort
South African international MacDonald Mukasi made it 3-0 late on, yet there was still time for Slavia to muster some consolation 15 minutes from time through Georgi Vladimirov's well-taken goal.

Levski win
Second-placed PFC Levski Sofia's Sasa Simonovic, meanwhile, struck in the 50th minute against PFC Lokomotiv Sofia to earn a 1-0 victory but CSKA's victory meant the result did nothing to close the gap on the leaders.

Third place safe
PFC Litex Lovech, however, made third place safe with a 3-1 away win against PFC Naftex Burgas and now lie four points adrift of Slavia. Atanas Bornosuzov gave his side the lead in the seventh minute, before a header from Stoyko Sakaliev levelled matters in the 22nd minute. Litex's Hristo Yovov then scored twice to secure the win.

First-half stroll
PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv, in sixth, coasted past PFC Marek Dupnitsa 5-0, scoring four goals by the break. Doncho Donev converted two penalties while Macedonian international Jarko Serafimovski, Nigerian Ekundayo Djayeoba and Petar Kolev were also on the scoresheet.

Late goals
Elsewhere, PFC Chernomorets Burgas came from 1-0 down to earn a 2-1 win away from home against PFC Rilski Sportist Samokov. Dimcho Marinov tapped in the first shortly after the break but late goals from Yuri Ivanikov and Petar Kolev turned the match on its head.

Surprise draw
Plamen Krumov and Sasa Antunovic were the scorers in PFC Spartak Varna's 2-0 home win against PFC Botev Plovdiv, while second-bottom PFC Dobrudzha Dobrich managed a 1-1 draw against PFC Cherno More Varna, who lie five positions above them in the standings. Kaloyan Genchev equalised for the home side after Georgi Iliev had opened the scoring earlier in the second half.