CSKA Sofia 3-2 Derry City: CSKA Sofia wins.
CSKA Sofia hosts Derry City at the National Stadium Vasil Levski in a UEFA Europa League qualifying match, promising a highly competitive encounter between two representatives of different footballing nations.
- 0'The match has started.
CSKA Sofia hosts Derry City.
- 19'GOAL! CSKA Sofia (1-0)
19th minute:I. Pittas(CSKA Sofia) scored. Score: 1 - 0.
- 27'CSKA Sofia dominates the game.
Possession: CSKA Sofia 67% - 33% Derry City, Shots 3 - 1 (2 on target), Corner kicks 1 - 2.
- 31'GOAL! Derry City (1-1)
31st minute:L. Boyce(Derry City) scored (assist: M. Duffy). Score: 1 - 1.
- 41'GOAL! CSKA Sofia (2-1)
41st minute:B. Jordao(CSKA Sofia) scored (assist: S. Sensi). Score: 2 - 1.
- 45'End of the first half
At the end of the first half, the score was 2-1.
- 46'The second half has begun.
The second half has begun.
- 53'GOAL! CSKA Sofia (3-1)
53rd minute:I. Pittas(CSKA Sofia) scored (assist: Pastor). Score: 3 - 1.
- 64'Substitution
64th minute (Derry City): N. Twisk comes on to replace C. Dummigan.
- 71'Substitution
71st minute (Derry City): J. Stott comes on to replace C. Grogan.
- 72'Substitution
72nd minute (CSKA Sofia): J. Zwarts comes on as a substitute for L. Godoy.
- 72'Substitution
72nd minute (CSKA Sofia): M. Brahimi comes on to replace I. Solet.
- 75'Yellow card
75th minute: B. Cotter (Derry City) receives a yellow card (Tripping).
- 83'Substitution
83rd minute (Derry City): J. McClean comes on to replace R. Slevin.
- 85'Substitution
85th minute (CSKA Sofia): A. Piedrahita comes on as a substitute for S. Sensi.
- 89'GOAL! Derry City (3-2)
89th minute:J. Olayinka(Derry City) scored (assist: P. McClean). Score: 3 - 2.
- KTFinal score: CSKA Sofia 3-2 Derry City
The match ended with a score of 3-2.
Updated at 02:54 on 10/07/2026
Team lineup updated at 00:32 on 10/07/2026
Official lineup
CSKA Sofia
Diagram: 4-3-1-2
CoachHristo Yanev
Starting lineup:
- 21. Fedor Lapoukhov (G)
- 2. Pastor (D)
- 32. Facundo Rodríguez (D)
- 14. Teodor Ivanov (D)
- 17. Ángelo Martino (D)
- 30. Petko Panayotov (M)
- 6. Bruno Jordão (M)
- 8. Stefano Sensi (M)
- 94. Isaac Solet (M)
- 9. Leandro Godoy (F)
- 28. Ioannis Pittas (F)
Substitutes:
- 25. Dimitar Evtimov
- 91. Aleks Tunchev
- 3. Tamimou Ouorou
- 5. Jean-Philippe Gbamin
- 19. Andrey Yordanov
- 34. Vasil Kaymakanov
- 77. Alejandro Piedrahita
- 11. Mohamed Amine Brahimi
- 38. Léo Pereira
- 99. James Eto'o
- 80. Georgi Brankov Chorbadzhiyski
- 10. Joël Zwarts
Derry City
Diagram: 4-4-2
CoachJeweln Lynch
Starting lineup:
- 1. Brian Maher (G)
- 22. Conor Barr (D)
- 25. Christy Grogan (D)
- 3. Patrick McClean (D)
- 6. Robert Slevin (D)
- 2. Barry Cotter (M)
- 28. James Olayinka (M)
- 23. Cameron Dummigan (D)
- 7. Michael Duffy (M)
- 14. Ellis Chapman (M)
- 27. Liam Boyce (F)
Substitutes:
- 26. Shea Callister
- 13. Tom Norcott
- 4. Jamie Stott
- 16. James McClean
- 17. Nick Twisk
- 21. Kevin Santos
- 35. Liam Kelly
- 20. Carl Winchester
- 32. Terence Doherty
CSKA Sofia will host Derry City at the National Stadium Vasil Levski in a UEFA Europa League qualifying match, a game that will be crucial for both teams' European campaigns.
This is an opportunity for CSKA Sofia to capitalize on their home advantage to create a favorable momentum for the match, while Derry City must play with focus to avoid falling too far behind, especially when playing away at a large and historically significant stadium in the Bulgarian capital.
Match context
The UEFA Europa League is always a challenging competition, where teams from different national leagues must quickly adapt to their opponents' playing styles. CSKA Sofia, as one of the most traditional clubs in Bulgaria, will certainly want to showcase their class on home soil.
Meanwhile, Derry City, representing Irish football, entered the tournament with the mindset of a team eager to spring a surprise. The clash between two distinct football styles – one emphasizing ball control like Eastern European football, the other prioritizing speed and physicality like English and Irish football – promised unpredictable developments.
Home advantage and psychological pressure
Playing at the National Stadium Vasil Levski, CSKA Sofia is expected to make the most of their home crowd support to create pressure from the very first minutes of the match. This is a crucial factor in European cup matches, as the mentality of both teams can directly affect their performance.
Conversely, Derry City will need a solid defensive strategy combined with the ability to capitalize on counter-attacking opportunities to mitigate their disadvantages when playing away from home. Maintaining composure in crucial moments of the match will be key to helping the Irish team avoid falling behind by a large margin.
Expert opinion
With the home advantage and the support of their fans, CSKA Sofia are considered slightly more favored in this match. However, European cup competitions always hold surprises, and Derry City could certainly pose a challenge if they maintain discipline in their team organization.
Fans can expect an open game where both teams are motivated to score from the first half, setting a good foundation for the second leg.
CSKA Sofia's recent form
- 03/07/2026: CSKA Sofia 3-0 Marek (Winner)
- June 28, 2026: Odra Opole 2-3 CSKA Sofia (Win)
- June 27, 2026: CSKA Sofia - Qarabag
- June 24, 2026: CSKA Sofia 0-4 Polessya (Lose)
- June 20, 2026: Brinje-Grosuplje 1-2 CSKA Sofia (Win)
Derry City's recent form
- 07/04/2026: Derry City 2-4 Waterford (Lose)
- June 27, 2026: Derry City 2-0 Drogheda United (Win)
- June 23, 2026: Shamrock Rovers 1-1 Derry City (Draw)
- June 20, 2026: Galway United 2-1 Derry City (Lose)
- June 13, 2026: Derry City 4-1 Bohemians (Winner)
Team form and statistics
CSKA Sofia (Home team)
Statistics for this season:
- Matches played: 0
- Wins: 0 (0 at home)
- Draw: 0 (0 at home)
- Losses: 0 (0 at home)
Goal:
- Scored: 0 goals (Average: 0.0 goals/match)
- Goals conceded: 0 (Average: 0.0 goals/match)
Derry City (Guest)
Statistics for this season:
- Matches played: 0
- Wins: 0 (0 away wins)
- Draw: 0 (0 away goals)
- Losses: 0 (0 away games)
Goal:
- Scored: 0 goals (Average: 0.0 goals/match)
- Goals conceded: 0 (Average: 0.0 goals/match)
Force situation
CSKA Sofia:No injury information available.
Derry City:No injury information available.
Predicted lineup
Predictions and odds
Predicted winner:
Predicted odds:
- CSKA Sofia win: 33%
- Tie: 33%
- Derry City win: 33%
Predicted number of goals:
- CSKA Sofia: goals
- Derry City: goals
Advice:No deposits available
*This article was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI).
