Champions League

Play-off Round

Broadcast

Levski Sofia

MATCH FINISHED

18 August, 20:00

AEK Athens

29/4

21/10

23/5

19:45

Wales

Denmark

2.5

19:45

Portugal

Norway

2.5

17:00

Malta

Andorra

2.5

17:00

Kosovo

Austria

2.5

19:45

Netherlands

Serbia

2.5

Show all

Match stats

Levski Sofia

AEK Athens Logo AEK Athens

52 Ball possession (%) 48

15 Goal attempts 12

3 Shots on Goal 1

12 Shots off Goal 11

0 Blocked shots 0

1 Corner Kicks 2

0 Goalkeeper Saves 0

0 Offsides 1

8 Fouls 17

0 Yellow cards 0

0 Red cards 0

490 Total Passes 458

432 Completed Passes 397

88 Passes accuracy (%) 87

Levski Sofia vs AEK Athens: prediction & betting odds 18 August 2026

Published: 16 August 2026 22:00

18 August 2026 at 15:00 EDT / 12:00 PDT, Levski Sofia will host AEK Athens at the Vasil Levski Stadium in the first leg of the Champions League qualifying play-offs.

This is a meeting between two champions of their countries, and a place in the league phase of Europe's premier club competition would be a historic achievement for both. The loser will continue in the league phase of the Europa League. The return leg will take place on 26 August in Athens.

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Match betting

Levski Sofia reached this stage after eliminating Kairat Almaty — and did so in the most convincing defensive fashion: 1:0 in Turkistan and 1:0 in Sofia, without conceding a goal across the two matches. The Bulgarian champions build their game around a compact defence and converting rare chances, while at the National Stadium the team will receive significant support from the stands — this is the club's first chance in many years to reach the UEFA Champions League group stage.

AEK enter the competition at this stage — as Greek champions, Marco Nikolic's team bypassed the previous rounds. The Serbian coach, who previously worked with CSKA Moscow, led the club to the title last season, and the board extended his contract until 2029. A fresher squad is a plus for the Greeks, but there is a downside: AEK will approach the match without European match practice this season, whereas Levski have already played four qualifying matches.

First legs of play-off ties are traditionally cautious, and both teams rely on organised defending. Levski have kept clean sheets in European competition for several matches in a row, while AEK are unlikely to open up away to the champions.

Betting prediction

Under 2.5

Odds

7/10

Кто будет судить матч

Гленн Нюберг (Швеция)

Матчи – 15 (Международные встречи, 2025–2026);

Фолы в среднем за матч – 22;

Ж/К в среднем за матч (с учётом вторых) – 3;

Матчи с К/К – 2 из 15;

Матчи с пенальти – 5 из 15.

Levski Sofia

Julio Velázquez	coach
Player		Matches	Goals
Line-up
Svetoslav Velislavov Vutsov	gk.	7	0
Alejandro José Centelles Plaza	df.	7	0
Kristian Traychev Dimitrov	df.	7	1
Nikola Serafimov	df.	7	0
Aldair Neves Paulo Faustino	df.	6	1
Maicon Araújo dos Santos	df.	6	0
El Mehdi El Moubarik	mf.	7	0
Sérgio Miguel Lobo Araújo	mf.	7	1
Armstrong Inya Oko-Flex	fw.	7	2
Francisco Everton Mota de Castro	fw.	7	1
Reinaldo Nascimento Satorno	fw.	7	3
Substitutes
Martin Bozhidarov Lukov	gk.	0	0
Ognyan Dilyanov Vladimirov	gk.	0	0
Christian Frederick Bayoi Makoun Reyes	df.	2	0
Hevertton Ciriaco Santos	df.	2	0
Gašper Trdin	mf.	6	0
Asen Ivanov Mitkov	mf.	3	0
Juan Esteban Perea Sanchez	fw.	6	1
Mazire Soula	fw.	5	0
Stivan Yordanov Stoyanchov	fw.	4	0
David João Kusso	fw.	3	0
Adrian Raychev	fw.	0	0

AEK Athens

Marko Nikolić	coach
Player		Matches	Goals
Line-up
Thomas Strakosha	gk.	1	0
Filipe do Bem Relvas Vitó Oliveira	df.	1	0
Harold-Desty Moukoudi	df.	1	0
Lazaros Rota	df.	1	0
Stavros Pilios	df.	1	0
Kasper Kaan Özden Kairinen	mf.	1	0
Lovro Majer	mf.	1	0
Răzvan Gabriel Marin	mf.	1	0
Aboubakary Yeli Koïta	fw.	1	0
Ambrósini António Cabaça Salvador	fw.	1	0
Luka Jović	fw.	1	0
Substitutes
Alberto Brignoli	gk.	0	0
Marios Balamotis	gk.	0	0
Domagoj Vida	df.	0	0
Martin Pavlov Georgiev	df.	0	0
Mijat Gaćinović	mf.	1	0
Oleksandr Zubkov	mf.	1	0
Petros Mantalos	mf.	1	0
Dereck Germano Kutesa	mf.	0	0
Dimitris Kaloskamis	mf.	0	0
Barnabás Varga	fw.	1	0

Previous matches in the tournament

11 August, 2026

Champions League

Kairat

Levski Sofia

4 August, 2026

Champions League

Levski Sofia

Kairat

29 July, 2026

Champions League

Universitatea

Levski Sofia

22 July, 2026

Champions League

Levski Sofia

Universitatea

14 July, 2026

Champions League

Levski Sofia

Borac Banja Luka

7 July, 2026

Champions League

Borac Banja Luka

Levski Sofia

The team hasn't played a game yet this season

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Tables

Tournament Home Away

#	Team	Matches played	W	D	L	G	Points
1	PSG	1	1	0	0	6:1	3
2	Bayern Munich	1	1	0	0	5:0	3
3	Barcelona	1	1	0	0	5:1	3
4	Manchester United	1	1	0	0	4:0	3
5	Como	1	1	0	0	4:1	3
6	Sporting CP	1	1	0	0	3:1	3
7	Stuttgart	1	1	0	0	3:1	3
8	Manchester City	1	1	0	0	2:0	3
9	Aston Villa	1	1	0	0	3:2	3
10	Lens	1	1	0	0	3:2	3
11	Real Betis	1	1	0	0	3:2	3
12	Borussia Dortmund	1	1	0	0	3:2	3
13	Liverpool	1	1	0	0	2:1	3
14	Real Madrid	1	1	0	0	2:1	3
15	Arsenal	1	1	0	0	1:0	3
16	AEK Athens	1	1	0	0	1:0	3
17	AS Roma	1	0	1	0	1:1	1
18	Shakhtar Donetsk	1	0	1	0	1:1	1
19	Fenerbahce	1	0	1	0	1:1	1
20	PSV	1	0	1	0	1:1	1
21	Villarreal	1	0	0	1	2:3	0
22	Brugge	1	0	0	1	2:3	0
23	Lille	1	0	0	1	2:3	0
24	Slavia Prague	1	0	0	1	2:3	0
25	Atlético Madrid	1	0	0	1	1:2	0
26	Inter Milan	1	0	0	1	1:2	0
27	LASK Linz	1	0	0	1	0:1	0
28	Napoli	1	0	0	1	0:1	0
29	Galatasaray	1	0	0	1	1:3	0
30	Viking	1	0	0	1	1:3	0
31	Porto	1	0	0	1	0:2	0
32	RB Leipzig	1	0	0	1	1:4	0
33	Feyenoord	1	0	0	1	1:5	0
34	FK Sabah	1	0	0	1	0:4	0
35	Slovan Bratislava	1	0	0	1	1:6	0
36	Bodo Glimt	1	0	0	1	0:5	0

#	Team	Matches played	W	D	L	G	Points
1	PSG	1	1	0	0	6:1	3
2	Bayern Munich	1	1	0	0	5:0	3
3	Barcelona	1	1	0	0	5:1	3
4	Manchester United	1	1	0	0	4:0	3
5	Como	1	1	0	0	4:1	3
6	Sporting CP	1	1	0	0	3:1	3
7	Stuttgart	1	1	0	0	3:1	3
8	Borussia Dortmund	1	1	0	0	3:2	3
9	Liverpool	1	1	0	0	2:1	3
10	Real Madrid	1	1	0	0	2:1	3
11	AEK Athens	1	1	0	0	1:0	3
12	Fenerbahce	1	0	1	0	1:1	1
13	PSV	1	0	1	0	1:1	1
14	Manchester City	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
15	Aston Villa	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
16	Lens	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
17	Real Betis	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
18	Arsenal	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
19	AS Roma	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
20	Shakhtar Donetsk	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
21	Villarreal	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
22	Brugge	1	0	0	1	2:3	0
23	Lille	1	0	0	1	2:3	0
24	Slavia Prague	1	0	0	1	2:3	0
25	Atlético Madrid	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
26	Inter Milan	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
27	LASK Linz	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
28	Napoli	1	0	0	1	0:1	0
29	Galatasaray	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
30	Viking	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
31	Porto	1	0	0	1	0:2	0
32	RB Leipzig	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
33	Feyenoord	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
34	FK Sabah	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
35	Slovan Bratislava	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
36	Bodo Glimt	0	0	0	0	0:0	0

#	Team	Matches played	W	D	L	G	Points
1	Manchester City	1	1	0	0	2:0	3
2	Aston Villa	1	1	0	0	3:2	3
3	Lens	1	1	0	0	3:2	3
4	Real Betis	1	1	0	0	3:2	3
5	Arsenal	1	1	0	0	1:0	3
6	AS Roma	1	0	1	0	1:1	1
7	Shakhtar Donetsk	1	0	1	0	1:1	1
8	PSG	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
9	Bayern Munich	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
10	Barcelona	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
11	Manchester United	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
12	Como	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
13	Sporting CP	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
14	Stuttgart	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
15	Borussia Dortmund	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
16	Liverpool	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
17	Real Madrid	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
18	AEK Athens	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
19	Fenerbahce	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
20	PSV	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
21	Villarreal	1	0	0	1	2:3	0
22	Brugge	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
23	Lille	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
24	Slavia Prague	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
25	Atlético Madrid	1	0	0	1	1:2	0
26	Inter Milan	1	0	0	1	1:2	0
27	LASK Linz	1	0	0	1	0:1	0
28	Napoli	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
29	Galatasaray	1	0	0	1	1:3	0
30	Viking	1	0	0	1	1:3	0
31	Porto	0	0	0	0	0:0	0
32	RB Leipzig	1	0	0	1	1:4	0
33	Feyenoord	1	0	0	1	1:5	0
34	FK Sabah	1	0	0	1	0:4	0
35	Slovan Bratislava	1	0	0	1	1:6	0
36	Bodo Glimt	1	0	0	1	0:5	0