Chery equaliser earns NEC Nijmegen a 1-1 draw with Levski Sofia

NEC Nijmegen drew 1-1 with Levski Sofia at Stadion de Goffert in the UEFA Europa League League Stage - 2. Levski led at half-time, but Tjaronn Chery’s second-half goal secured a share of the points.

Levski strike first, NEC respond

Levski Sofia took the lead in the 35th minute when Reinaldo Nascimento Satorno scored a normal goal to make it 0-1, with Svetoslav Vutsov providing the assist. NEC’s Noe Lebreton received the match’s only yellow card in the 24th minute.

NEC levelled in the 64th minute through Tjaronn Chery, whose normal goal changed the score to 1-1. The hosts then made two substitutions in the 75th minute, while Levski also changed players in the 62nd and 75th minutes. Dušan Tadić was replaced by Willum Thor Willumsson in the 84th minute.

NEC created more, but Vutsov stood out

The statistics suggested a stronger attacking display from NEC. They had 18 shots to Levski’s 8, put 9 on target compared with 2, and recorded expected goals of 2.17 to 1.28. Possession was almost even, with NEC at 51% and Levski at 49%.

Levski goalkeeper S. Vutsov was the standout performer, earning an 8.4 rating and making 8 saves. Chery also impressed with a 7.9 rating, 1 goal and 3 shots on target.

Both remain level in the table

After this result, NEC are ranked #27 with 1 points from 2 games, while Levski are ranked #24 with 1 points from 2 games. Both trail league leader Juventus by 5 points. Both teams had entered the match after a loss in their most recent pre-match form.