CSKA Sofia
In the second leg of the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round, CSKA Sofia host Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Vasil Levski Stadium in Sofia 13 August 2026 at 14:00 EDT / 11:00 PDT.
After a 0:3 defeat in the first meeting, Maccabi have no option to play cautiously: the visitors need to make up three goals, while CSKA will have space to counter-attack. The scoreline from the first match changes everything — the Israelis will have to push forward earlier than usual.
CSKA have been scoring in bursts recently. After goalless matches against Qarabag, they have suddenly found another gear going forward: 2:1 against Dunav, 3:0 against Maccabi and 3:0 against Septemvri. They have scored eight goals in their last three competitive matches. Leandro Godoy, Ioannis Pittas and Joël Zwarts offer options in the penalty area, while Stefano Sensi and Maks Ebong quickly launch attacks from deep.
The Bulgarians have already experienced both extremes in Europe. They recorded 3:2 and 2:1 results against Derry, and two 0:0 matches against Qarabag. But the current aggregate score does not allow Maccabi to follow the Azerbaijani scenario. The visitors need to score quickly, push their full-backs forward and leave more space behind them.
Maccabi are not toothless either. They beat Sheriff 6:0 on aggregate in the previous round, scoring five away from home. The Israeli league has not started yet, but their attack had already found its rhythm before the meeting with CSKA. Ester Sokler made his debut in the first match, while Dor Peretz, Sayed Abu Farkhi and Osher Davida give Kenny Miller plenty of options up front.
The scoreline from the first match should not be read as a one-sided game. Maccabi had chances: Peretz headed an effort after a corner, while Elad Madmon, after coming on as a substitute, missed from almost on the goal line. CSKA simply made much better use of their chances and punished mistakes in possession. In Sofia, the visitors will take even greater risks — they have nothing left to protect.
For the second leg, in which one side must make up a three-goal deficit while the other has scored eight in their last three competitive matches, odds of around 2.05 offer plenty of value. An early goal from either team will open up the game, but even without one, Maccabi will not be able to maintain a cautious tempo all evening. We are backing the over.
Daniel Schlager (Germany)
Matches – 5 (international fixtures, 2025–2026);
Average fouls per match – 22;
Average yellow cards per match (including second yellows) – 4.8;
Matches with red cards – 2 out of 5;
Matches with penalties – 0 out of 5.
|
Daniel Morales
|
coach | ||
| Player | Matches | Goals | |
|
Line-up
|
|||
|
Fedor Lapoukhov
|
gk. | 0 | 0 |
|
Andrey Yordanov Yordanov
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Facundo Santiago Rodríguez Fábregas
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Pastor
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Teodor Ivanov
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Bruno André Cavaco Jordão
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Jean-Philippe Gbamin
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Max Ebong
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Stefano Sensi
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Ioannis Pittas
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Santiago Leandro Godoy
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Substitutes
|
|||
|
Daniel Nikolaev Nikolov
|
gk. | 0 | 0 |
|
Dimitar Ivanov Evtimov
|
gk. | 0 | 0 |
|
Aleks Aleksandrov Tunchev
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Georgi Brankov Chorbadzhiyski
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Isaac Solet Bomawoko
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
James Armel Eto'o Eyenga
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Mohamed Amine Brahimi
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Petko Panayotov
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Alejandro Piedrahita Díaz
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Joël Zwarts
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Leonardo Pereira
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Vasil Stanislavov Kaymakanov
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Kenny Miller
|
coach | ||
| Player | Matches | Goals | |
|
Line-up
|
|||
|
Ofek Melika Aharon
|
gk. | 0 | 0 |
|
Mohamed Ali Camara
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Raz Shlomo
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Roy Revivo
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Tyrese Asante
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Dor Peretz
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Ido Shahar
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Issouf Bemba Sissokho
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Ester Sokler
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Hélio Sandro Oliveira Alves Varela
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Osher Davida
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Substitutes
|
|||
|
Noam Schwartz
|
0 | 0 | |
|
Roi Mishpati
|
gk. | 0 | 0 |
|
Itay Ben Hamo
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Noam Ben Harush Shani
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Shahar Rosen
|
df. | 0 | 0 |
|
Dan Leon Glazer
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Itamar Noy
|
mf. | 0 | 0 |
|
Elad Madmon
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Ilay Ben Simon
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Kervin Mario Andrade Navarro
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Ori Natan Azo
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
|
Sayed Abu Farhi
|
fw. | 0 | 0 |
Maccabi Tel-Aviv
CSKA Sofia
CSKA Sofia
Qarabağ
Qarabağ
CSKA Sofia
Derry City
CSKA Sofia
CSKA Sofia
Derry City
Sepsi OSK Sfantu Gheorghe
CSKA Sofia
CSKA Sofia
Sepsi OSK Sfantu Gheorghe
FC Basel
CSKA Sofia
CSKA Sofia
FC Basel
St Patrick's Athletic
CSKA Sofia
Maccabi Tel-Aviv
CSKA Sofia
Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Sheriff
Sheriff
Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Bologna
Freiburg
Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Stuttgart
Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Lyon
Aston Villa
Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Midtjylland
Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Dinamo Zagreb
Europa League 2026/27
Maccabi Tel-Aviv
CSKA Sofia
| # | Team | Form | Matches played | W | D | L | G | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Benfica
|
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10:2 | 9 |
|
2
|
Bayer 04
|
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8:0 | 9 |
|
3
|
Bournemouth
|
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8:1 | 9 |
|
4
|
Ferencvárosi
|
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 9:3 | 9 |
|
5
|
Olympiacos Piraeus
|
|
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4:1 | 9 |
|
6
|
Saint-Gilloise
|
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8:1 | 7 |
|
7
|
Juventus
|
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9:3 | 7 |
|
8
|
Beşiktaş JK
|
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9:5 | 7 |
|
9
|
Sunderland
|
|
3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4:2 | 7 |
|
10
|
AZ Alkmaar
|
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6:2 | 6 |
|
11
|
Omonia
|
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5:4 | 6 |
|
12
|
Lyon
|
|
3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5:6 | 6 |
|
13
|
Rennes
|
|
3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4:3 | 5 |
|
14
|
Real Sociedad
|
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8:3 | 4 |
|
15
|
Crystal Palace
|
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8:5 | 4 |
|
16
|
Sparta Prague
|
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5:3 | 4 |
|
17
|
Levski Sofia
|
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3:3 | 4 |
|
18
|
Dinamo Zagreb
|
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3:4 | 4 |
|
19
|
Sturm Graz
|
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1:3 | 4 |
|
20
|
NEC Nijmegen
|
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5:8 | 4 |
|
21
|
Red Bull Salzburg
|
|
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3:6 | 4 |
|
22
|
Anderlecht
|
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4:3 | 3 |
|
23
|
Hoffenheim
|
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5:5 | 3 |
|
24
|
AC Milan
|
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4:5 | 3 |
|
25
|
Celta
|
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3:4 | 3 |
|
26
|
OFI Crete
|
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3:4 | 3 |
|
27
|
Jagiellonia
|
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4:6 | 3 |
|
28
|
União Torreense
|
|
3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4:7 | 3 |
|
29
|
NK Celje
|
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2:7 | 1 |
|
30
|
Hapoel Be'er Sheva
|
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1:6 | 1 |
|
31
|
Lillestrom
|
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2:9 | 1 |
|
32
|
Lech
|
|
3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1:9 | 1 |
|
33
|
Viktoria Plzen
|
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2:7 | 0 |
|
34
|
Marseille
|
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1:6 | 0 |
|
35
|
Celtic
|
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3:9 | 0 |
|
36
|
Ararat-Armenia
|
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2:11 | 0 |
| # | Team | Form | Matches played | W | D | L | G | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Bournemouth
|
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6:0 | 6 |
|
2
|
Ferencvárosi
|
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6:2 | 6 |
|
3
|
Olympiacos Piraeus
|
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3:1 | 6 |
|
4
|
Saint-Gilloise
|
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5:1 | 4 |
|
5
|
Juventus
|
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7:2 | 4 |
|
6
|
Beşiktaş JK
|
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6:3 | 4 |
|
7
|
Sturm Graz
|
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1:0 | 4 |
|
8
|
Benfica
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4:1 | 3 |
|
9
|
Bayer 04
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:0 | 3 |
|
10
|
Sunderland
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1:0 | 3 |
|
11
|
AZ Alkmaar
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | 3 |
|
12
|
Omonia
|
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2:4 | 3 |
|
13
|
Lyon
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:2 | 3 |
|
14
|
Rennes
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | 3 |
|
15
|
Crystal Palace
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4:0 | 3 |
|
16
|
Dinamo Zagreb
|
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3:4 | 3 |
|
17
|
Hoffenheim
|
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5:3 | 3 |
|
18
|
OFI Crete
|
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2:2 | 3 |
|
19
|
Jagiellonia
|
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3:4 | 3 |
|
20
|
Sparta Prague
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1:1 | 1 |
|
21
|
NEC Nijmegen
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1:1 | 1 |
|
22
|
NK Celje
|
|
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2:5 | 1 |
|
23
|
Hapoel Be'er Sheva
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0:0 | 1 |
|
24
|
Lech
|
|
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1:5 | 1 |
|
25
|
Real Sociedad
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
26
|
Levski Sofia
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:1 | 0 |
|
27
|
Red Bull Salzburg
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:4 | 0 |
|
28
|
Anderlecht
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
29
|
AC Milan
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:2 | 0 |
|
30
|
Celta
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
31
|
União Torreense
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
32
|
Lillestrom
|
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1:8 | 0 |
|
33
|
Viktoria Plzen
|
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1:5 | 0 |
|
34
|
Marseille
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:1 | 0 |
|
35
|
Celtic
|
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2:5 | 0 |
|
36
|
Ararat-Armenia
|
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1:8 | 0 |
| # | Team | Form | Matches played | W | D | L | G | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Benfica
|
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6:1 | 6 |
|
2
|
Bayer 04
|
|
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6:0 | 6 |
|
3
|
Sunderland
|
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3:2 | 4 |
|
4
|
Real Sociedad
|
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 7:1 | 4 |
|
5
|
Levski Sofia
|
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3:2 | 4 |
|
6
|
Red Bull Salzburg
|
|
2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3:2 | 4 |
|
7
|
Bournemouth
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | 3 |
|
8
|
Ferencvárosi
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:1 | 3 |
|
9
|
Olympiacos Piraeus
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1:0 | 3 |
|
10
|
Saint-Gilloise
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:0 | 3 |
|
11
|
Juventus
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2:1 | 3 |
|
12
|
Beşiktaş JK
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:2 | 3 |
|
13
|
AZ Alkmaar
|
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4:1 | 3 |
|
14
|
Omonia
|
|
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3:0 | 3 |
|
15
|
Lyon
|
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2:4 | 3 |
|
16
|
Sparta Prague
|
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4:2 | 3 |
|
17
|
NEC Nijmegen
|
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4:7 | 3 |
|
18
|
Anderlecht
|
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3:1 | 3 |
|
19
|
AC Milan
|
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4:3 | 3 |
|
20
|
Celta
|
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2:2 | 3 |
|
21
|
União Torreense
|
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3:5 | 3 |
|
22
|
Rennes
|
|
2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2:2 | 2 |
|
23
|
Crystal Palace
|
|
2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4:5 | 1 |
|
24
|
Dinamo Zagreb
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0:0 | 1 |
|
25
|
Lillestrom
|
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1:1 | 1 |
|
26
|
Sturm Graz
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:3 | 0 |
|
27
|
Hoffenheim
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:2 | 0 |
|
28
|
OFI Crete
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
29
|
Jagiellonia
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
30
|
NK Celje
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:2 | 0 |
|
31
|
Hapoel Be'er Sheva
|
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1:6 | 0 |
|
32
|
Lech
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0:4 | 0 |
|
33
|
Viktoria Plzen
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:2 | 0 |
|
34
|
Marseille
|
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1:5 | 0 |
|
35
|
Celtic
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:4 | 0 |
|
36
|
Ararat-Armenia
|
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1:3 | 0 |
