# Dunav Ruse football season performance > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/dunav-ruse-football-season-performance > Updated: 2026-08-31T14:58:21.000Z. Sources: 16. Developments: 3. Dunav Ruse experienced a period of volatility in the Bulgarian efbet Liga during the early stages of the season. Following a 1-2 defeat to CSKA Sofia, which marked the team’s third consecutive loss, senior coach Emmanuel Lukyanov called for improved defensive organization and harder work from his players. The team subsequently secured its first win since returning to the top flight with a 2-1 comeback victory against Lokomotiv Plovdiv at Lauta Stadium. After falling behind in the 4th minute to a header by Krist Longvil, Dunav Ruse turned the match around in the second half. Alex Valinho equalized in the 71st minute via a penalty, and Kristiyan Boychev scored the winning goal in the 77th minute following a pass from Denislav Minchev. Boychev was named player of the match. The match was notable for an incident in the 82nd minute where referee Dimitar Dimitrov required medical attention after colliding with Boychev. This resulted in fourth official Kristina Georgieva taking over officiating duties, making her only the second woman to officiate a match in the efbet Liga. Following the game, Lokomotiv Plovdiv coach Dusan Kosic expressed dissatisfaction with the loss and certain refereeing decisions, while Dunav Ruse coach Emanuel Lukanov praised his team’s character in overcoming the deficit. In the seventh round of the league, Dunav Ruse played to a 2-2 draw against Lokomotiv Sofia at the City Stadium in Ruse. Dunav took the lead twice through a Radoslav Apostolov penalty in the 39th minute and an Alex Valinho goal in the 64th minute. However, Lokomotiv Sofia equalized both times via penalties from Georgi Minchev and Cauê Caruso. Following the match, Dunav head coach Emmanuil Lukanov expressed frustration, stating, “Today I am sure we lost two points,” citing missed opportunities to close out the game. ## Claims - Christ Longwill scored for Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the 4th minute. (corroborated by 5 sources) - Dunav Ruse secured a 2-1 comeback victory against Lokomotiv Plovdiv. (corroborated by 4 sources) - Alex Valinho scored an equalizer from a penalty in the 72nd minute. (corroborated by 4 sources) - Kristiyan Boychev scored the winning goal for Dunav in the 77th minute. (corroborated by 4 sources) - Referee Dimitar Dimitrov was injured following a collision with Kristiyan Boychev and was replaced by fourth official Kristina Georgieva. (corroborated by 4 sources) - Lokomotiv Plovdiv suffered its third consecutive defeat. (corroborated by 2 sources) - A Japanese investor interested in Lokomotiv Plovdiv attended the match. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Dunav Ruse and Lokomotiv Sofia drew 2-2 in their First League match. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Radoslav Apostolov scored a penalty for Dunav Ruse in the 36th minute. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Georgi Minchev scored a penalty to equalize for Lokomotiv Sofia in the 55th minute. (corroborated by 2 sources) - A goal by Alex Valinho was disallowed by VAR for offside early in the match. (corroborated by 2 sources) - The match took place on the 60th birthday of head coach Lyuboslav Penev. (corroborated by 2 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-31: Dunav Ruse and Lokomotiv Sofia draw 2-2 in First League match Dunav Ruse and Lokomotiv Sofia drew 2-2 in a Bulgarian First League match in Ruse, with goals from Apostolov, Minchev, Valinho, and Caruso. 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/dunav-ruse-and-lokomotiv-sofia-draw-2-2-in-first-league-clash ### 2026-08-16: Dunav Ruse secures comeback victory over Lokomotiv Plovdiv Dunav Ruse achieved their first top-flight victory with a 2-1 comeback win over Lokomotiv Plovdiv, a match notable for a referee injury and replacement by fourth official Kristina Georgieva. 9 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/dunav-ruse-defeats-lokomotiv-plovdiv-2-1-in-comeback-victory ### 2026-08-02: Coach Emmanuel Lukyanov on Dunav Ruse's 1-2 loss to CSKA Coach Emmanuel Lukyanov said Dunav Ruse’s 1‑2 loss to CSKA marked a third straight defeat, likening their play to European competitions and urging improvement before a tough game against Arda. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/coach-emmanuel-lukyanov-on-dunav-ruses-1-2-loss-to-cska --- Cite as: Dunav Ruse football season performance. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/dunav-ruse-football-season-performance