Champions League: Crusaders 0-2 Ludogorets Razgrad

Irish League champions Crusaders went out 9-0 on aggregate to their Bulgarian counterparts Ludogorets after losing 2-0 in the second leg of their Champions League first qualifying round tie.

A spectacular 11th-minute own goal from Rodney Brown, who also found his own net in the first leg, gave the visitors the lead at Seaview on Tuesday night.

Jakub Swierczok drilled home a low right-foot shot in the second half.

Crusaders will now contest the second qualifying round of the Europa League.

The north Belfast club look likely to be without striker Jordan Owens in their tie against Olimpija Ljubljana of Slovenia or Azerbaijan side Qarabag next week after he pulled a hamstring in the first half of Tuesday's game.

Ludogorets will play Hungarian outfit Videoton in their next Champions League qualifier.

The Bulgarian side, who have won their domestic league for the last seven consecutive years, were firmly in control of the tie after winning the first leg 7-0 in Razgrad last Wednesday.

They reached the last 32 of the Europa League last season and made the group stages of the Champions League in both the 2014-15 and 2016-17 campaigns.

Own goal calamity for Brown

Crusaders began brightly with Michael Carvill firing wide but Brown's misfortune immediately handed the initiative to their opponents.

Swierczok, scorer of an eight-minute hat-trick last week, fired a pass into the danger area and under-pressure full-back Brown lofted the ball right-footed over home goalkeeper Sean O'Neill.

Ludogorets had chances to extend their lead before the break but O'Neill saved well from Georgi Terziev's header, while Jody Lukoki hit the woodwork.

Owens came off just after the half-hour mark and Crues boss Stephen Baxter said afterwards that he was concerned the striker could be out for up to "six weeks".

After half-time Lukoki and Marcelhino went close in quick succession and Jordan Forsythe headed wide from Ross Clarke's free-kick, before seeing his header from the resultant corner crash off the bar.

Polish international Swierczok extended his side's advantage after 65 minutes, completing a neat build-up by firing low right-footed into the bottom corner from 20 yards out.

O'Neill denied Swierczok's headed effort, Jorge Broun saved David Cushley's left-foot shot and O'Neill also pushed away Joao Paulo's drive in the closing minutes.