A lively first half saw 24 shots taken in total, but just one goal scored. It was no surprise who found the net though, as UEL top scorer Petar Stanic produced a lovely finish over the onrushing Yehvann Diouf for his seventh goal of the campaign after meeting Caio Vidal’s through ball.
Ludogorets had further chances to extend their lead before HT, none more so than from Vidal himself, but Diouf denied him on three occasions. Nice came closest to scoring themselves through 18-year-old Brad-Hamilton Mantsouga, whose ambitious strike had to be tipped over by Hendrik Bonmann.
If Nice were to get anything out of the game, they would seemingly be relying on their teenage talents. Nineteen-year-old Kail Boudache - coming on as a substitute - tried his luck in a similar vein to Mantsouga in the first half, but Bonmann got behind his effort well.
Ludogorets were nervous, as a win still didn’t guarantee them qualification for the play-offs, but Son almost eased those nerves with a brilliant strike that had to be parried away by Diouf.
Ivaylo Chochev, who scored against PAOK on home soil in the UEL last month, was also brought on as a substitute to try and extend the Eagles’ advantage, but his diving header crashed back off the post.
In the end though, one goal proved enough to send Ludogorets through to the knockout stages, against a Nice side already eliminated and suffering their ninth straight away defeat in major European competitions.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Petar Stanic (Ludogorets Razgrad)