Levski Sofia travels to Greece to face AEK Athens in the second leg of the Champions League playoff round, following a 0-0 draw in the first match.
Key facts
- •The match takes place at the AEK Arena, also known as 'Sveta Sofia', at 22:00.
- •Levski eliminated Borac Banja Luka, Universitatea Craiova, and Kairat to reach the playoffs.
- •Levski players Radoslav Kirilov, Stipe Vulikić, Akram Bouras, Oliver Camdem, and Mustapha Sangaré are out for the match.
- •AEK Athens recently defeated Iraklis 4-0 in their domestic league opener.
- •Levski is guaranteed a spot in the Europa League main phase if they do not qualify for the Champions League.
Levski Sofia will face Greek champions AEK Athens in a decisive Champions League playoff match at the AEK Arena. The game kicks off at 22:00 under the officiating of French referee Clément Turpin. The first leg in Sofia ended in a 0-0 draw, leaving the tie level as both teams compete for a spot in the competition's main phase.
By the numbers
Road to the Playoffs
To reach this stage, Levski Sofia eliminated three national champions over the past month. They defeated Borac Banja Luka (1-1 and 4-0), Universitatea Craiova (1-0 and 2-2), and Kairat (two 1-0 victories). Regardless of the outcome against AEK, Levski has already secured European competition participation through the autumn and winter, with a guaranteed spot in the Europa League main phase if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.
Team News and Preparations
Levski coach Julio Velázquez faces ongoing personnel absences, with Radoslav Kirilov, Stipe Vulikić, Akram Bouras, Oliver Camdem, and Mustapha Sangaré unavailable. New signing Marko Grujić is also ineligible for this phase but traveled with the squad. Velázquez stated the team must play brilliantly to overcome the challenge. AEK coach Marko Nikolić reported that his full squad is available for the match, expressing optimism about the result.
AEK Athens Form
AEK Athens enters the competition at this playoff stage. Their recent official matches include the first leg against Levski, a loss in the Greek Super Cup to OFI Crete following a 2-2 draw and penalties, and a 4-0 league victory over Iraklis.
Advertisement
This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Sportal.bg.
