How it happened
Bulgaria won 2-0 at the Stade de Luxembourg on Tuesday, and goalkeeper Daniel Naumov was the reason the scoreline stayed that way. He made seven saves, one for every shot on target Luxembourg managed, and finished with a match rating of 9.2, the highest of any player named in the match data.
The visitors were ahead inside 20 minutes. Kristiyan Balov scored in the 19th minute, and A. Iliev doubled the lead in the 34th. Both goals came before the break, so Bulgaria went in at half-time 2-0 up and had to defend that advantage for the second half.
Luxembourg did not find a way through. The match, played in cloudy conditions at 17C under referee Andris Treimanis, passed without a red card.
The numbers
The statistics tell a different story from the scoreline. Luxembourg had 18 shots to Bulgaria's 13, seven of them on target against five, and led the corner count 5-4. They held 63% of possession to Bulgaria's 37%.
The expected-goals figures point the same way: 1.89 for Luxembourg against 0.87 for Bulgaria. On the quality of chances alone, the hosts might have expected to score about two. They scored none, which is where Naumov comes in. He touched the ball 44 times and was not credited with a key pass or an assist, so his contribution was almost entirely at the other end.
Bulgaria's other highly rated performers were Yoni Stoyanov and Balov, who each had a match rating of 7.9. Stoyanov, a defender, played the full 90 minutes with 57 touches and one key pass. Balov, a midfielder, scored his goal from an expected-goals value of 0.13 and played 66 minutes.
What it means
This was Matchday 4 in League C, Group 4 of the UEFA Nations League. The facts supplied include no group table, so the effect on the standings cannot be stated here.
The result reverses the most recent meeting between the sides. On 26 September, Luxembourg won 2-1 in Bulgaria. Across six meetings the record now stands at two wins for Bulgaria, one for Luxembourg and three draws, though that tally may not yet include this result.
Over their last 10 matches, Bulgaria have won two, drawn two and lost six, scoring eight and conceding 21. Luxembourg have won four and lost six in the same span, scoring eight and conceding 11. A clean sheet and two goals from 13 shots is a notable return for a side with that defensive record, and it was built on one outstanding goalkeeping display.