Match Overview
This UEFA Europa League 3rd Qualifying Round second leg takes place on 13 August 2026 at 18:00 UTC, with CSKA Sofia hosting Maccabi Tel Aviv. CSKA Sofia won the first leg 3-0 and carry a commanding 3-0 aggregate lead into this tie.
Match Context
CSKA Sofia advance with any result short of a four-goal defeat; they are eliminated only if Maccabi Tel Aviv win by four or more goals. Maccabi must win by exactly three to force extra time, or by four or more to advance outright — an extraordinarily steep task. Playing at home, CSKA benefit from familiar surroundings and their own supporters. The only H2H data is the first leg itself — Maccabi Tel Aviv 0-3 CSKA Sofia on 6 August — confirming CSKA's clear superiority.
Prediction
- Main pick: CSKA Sofia to qualify (Draw or CSKA win) — CSKA need only avoid a four-goal defeat, and their first-leg dominance plus home advantage make qualification the overwhelmingly likely outcome.
- Alternative pick: CSKA Sofia to win this leg — CSKA's form reads WWDWW across their last five matches, including the 3-0 win over this same Maccabi side, suggesting they're well capable of winning outright again.
- Over/Under: Under 2.5 goals — CSKA can manage the game conservatively, and Maccabi face an almost insurmountable deficit, pointing to a low-scoring, controlled leg.
- Both Teams to Score: No — CSKA have every incentive to keep a clean sheet, and Maccabi conceded three without reply in the first leg.
- Predicted score: CSKA Sofia 1-0 Maccabi Tel Aviv — aggregate becomes 4-0; CSKA Sofia advance.
- Confidence level: 8/10 — The three-goal aggregate cushion and CSKA's unbeaten qualifying run make progression close to a certainty barring an extraordinary collapse.