Bulgaria's PFC Ludogorets drew with Italy's Lazio 3-3 Thursday and advanced into the round of 32 at UEFA Europa League with aggregate result of 4-3.

The Bulgarian team, which beat Lazio 1-0 in Rome in the first leg a week ago, conceded a goal in the first minute by Keita Balde, and Brayan Perea doubled the advantage of the Italians in the 54th.

Nevertheless, vigorously encouraged by nearly 40,000 spectators at the National Stadium Vasil Levski, Ludogorets came back when Roman Bezjak and Hristo Zlatinski scored in the 67th and 78th minutes respectively.

Miroslav Klose put Lazio ahead again in the 82th minute and the Italians had advantage of more away goals though the overall scoreline was 3-3 at that time.

Juninho Quixada saved Ludogorets when he scored the equalizer in the 88th, which turned out to be a winner of the two-leg series.

"It was a nail-biting match. Crazy, crazy game. The players are heroes," the manager of Ludogorets Stoicho Stoev said after the final whistle.

"The Bezyak's goal gave us momentum that we can turn the match and the result," he added.

Sensationally, Ludogorets were among the best performing teams in the group phase of UEFA Europa League, collecting 16 points against PSV Eindhoven, GNK Dinamo Zagreb and FC Chornomorets Odesa.

The team from the town of Razgrad was Bulgaria's champion in the last two seasons, but from its establishment in 1945 to 2011, the team had participated in lower divisions of the Bulgarian football.

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