Levski Sofia - AEK Athens: two teams, one place in the league phase
Levski Sofia and AEK Athens meet at Stadion Georgi Asparuhov in Sofia in the first leg of the Champions League qualifying play-offs. The match is scheduled for 18 August at 22:00, and the winner of the two-legged tie will claim one of the remaining places in the league phase of the competition.
For Levski, this is a continuation of a summer in which there has practically been no room for a break. The Bulgarian champions have overcome three previous qualifying hurdles and have already accumulated a significant number of European minutes. AEK Athens arrive from a different position. The Greek champions enter the play-offs later and with a squad that won the domestic championship last season and reached the quarter-finals of a European competition.
The tie is played on a knockout basis. If the aggregate score is level after two matches, extra time and, if necessary, penalties will follow. An away goal has no additional value. That means the result of the first evening in Sofia will be important, but not final.
Tickets for this match have been in demand among supporters.
Levski reached this stage through six qualifying matches
Julio Velázquez's team began qualifying against Borac Banja Luka. The first match ended 1-1, and the return to Sofia showed how dangerous Levski can be when they find their rhythm early or immediately after the break. It finished 4-0, with goals from Armstrong Oko-Flex, Reinaldo, who scored twice, and Juan Perea.
The next opponent was Universitatea Craiova. Levski won 1-0 at their own stadium with a goal from Kristian Dimitrov, and drew 2-2 in the return leg in Romania. In doing so, they preserved the advantage from Sofia and continued towards the third qualifying round.
Against Kairat, once again the most important thing was what Levski did at home. They won the first match 1-0 and then confirmed qualification in Almaty. That sequence is important for understanding the hosts before AEK: Levski have already been through situations in which they have to control the aggregate score, defend a lead and play under the pressure of knockout football.
Their path to the play-offs can be summarised as follows:
- Borac Banja Luka - an away draw followed by a convincing victory in Sofia.
- Universitatea Craiova - a narrow home win and 2-2 in the return leg.
- Kairat - victory in the first match in Sofia and confirmation of qualification in Almaty.
- AEK Athens - the final obstacle before the league phase.
At the same time, Levski are defending the Bulgarian championship title. Velázquez led the team to the title after a long period without a league trophy, and the new European run has further increased the importance of the stability he has built.
Reinaldo, Oko-Flex and Serginho give Levski different ways to attack
Levski are not dependent on a single goalscorer. Reinaldo has already shown how dangerous he can be in front of goal, particularly in the tie with Borac Banja Luka, while Armstrong Oko-Flex brings speed and the ability to attack from wider positions. Serginho is important in linking midfield and attack, and he has already been involved in creating goals during qualifying.
Kristian Dimitrov has also provided direct attacking value from the back line. His goal against Universitatea Craiova was the only one in the first match and showed how important set pieces and centre-backs joining the attack can be when open play turns into a positional battle.
Everton Bala, Akram Bouras, Maicon and Svetoslav Vutsov have also been regular parts of the team's European core during the summer. Velázquez has been able to change certain roles through the previous rounds, but the fundamental idea remains recognisable: a compact midfield, patience without the ball and a quick search for space as soon as the opponent loses its structure.
Against AEK, the decision on how high Levski want to press will be particularly important. Aggressive pressing can give the hosts energy from the stands and force mistakes from the opposition, but behind the first line of pressure it leaves space for players who have the quality to play a vertical ball towards Luka Jović, Barnabás Varga or Aboubakary Koita.
AEK arrive as Greek champions with an experienced attacking squad
AEK Athens won the Greek championship last season under Marko Nikolić. The final part of the league campaign was particularly impressive: the club secured the title before the end of the play-offs, and Nikolić extended his contract after the season.
AEK also have a long European season behind them. They overcame three summer qualifying hurdles and then reached the quarter-finals. In the round of 16 against NK Celje, they won 4-0 in Slovenia, with goals from Barnabás Varga, Aboubakary Koita, Mijat Gaćinović and Harold Moukoudi. Rayo Vallecano stopped them in the quarter-finals.
The squad arriving in Sofia therefore contains a large number of players accustomed to matches in which the result is viewed across two evenings rather than just 90 minutes.
The best-known attacking name is Luka Jović. In the last league season, he had matches in which he practically decided the contest by himself, including four goals against Panathinaikos in a single league evening. Alongside him is Barnabás Varga, a powerful striker who can play high between the centre-backs, while Koita brings a different profile - more movement, runs from wide areas and play facing the goal.
In midfield, Razvan Marin offers distribution and quality from set pieces. Lazaros Rota can attack space from the right flank, Harold Moukoudi provides physical strength in the centre of defence, while Thomas Strakosha and Alberto Brignoli give Nikolić experienced options in goal.
An important change compared with the championship-winning team is the departure of Orbelín Pineda, who left the club in July after four years. As a result, AEK enter the new season with somewhat different relationships in midfield, although most of the other important players from the previous campaign have remained available to Nikolić.
The difference in competitive rhythm could be one of the key details
During July and August, Levski have already played matches in which a single mistake can change their entire European journey. AEK spent the preparatory part of the summer mainly playing friendly matches before the start of the domestic championship.
During preparations, the Greek champions beat Groningen 2-1 and PEC Zwolle 3-2, while they lost 2-1 to Samsunspor. Friendly results are not in themselves a reliable measure of quality, but they show that Nikolić's team sought matches against opponents capable of physically and tactically testing the defence.
Levski, on the other hand, enter the play-offs straight from genuine qualifying rhythm. For the hosts, that means greater familiarity with pressure, but also a larger number of demanding minutes already played. A few days before AEK, they also face a city league match against Slavia Sofia, so the distribution of minutes will be an important part of Velázquez's work.
AEK have a different kind of challenge. Their league season begins only after the first match of this tie, so the form from the previous championship-winning season cannot simply be transferred to August. The individual quality is clear, but only the match in Sofia will show how close the team already are to their optimal competitive rhythm.
Tactical battle: Levski must close the space between midfield and the centre-backs
The most dangerous scenario for Levski would be allowing AEK to move the ball freely to the forwards between the lines. Jović can finish a move with very few touches, Varga punishes defences when he gets space in the penalty area, while Koita can pull a centre-back or full-back out of their starting position and open a route for another player.
That is why the hosts may try to keep the distances between defence and midfield very short. When they win the ball, the natural target will be the space behind AEK's wide defenders. There, Oko-Flex, Reinaldo and Levski's other quick players can force the visitors to turn towards their own goal instead of continuously building attacks.
AEK have more experience in constructing long attacks. Marin can switch the side of play, Rota can push high, and the forwards can occupy the centre-backs and free up the second line. That is exactly why Levski must not allow the match to become a one-sided siege of their penalty area.
Set pieces could have particularly great value. Both teams have tall and physically strong players, and in a tie at this level one corner or free kick is often worth as much as several minutes of dominance in open play.
Stadion Georgi Asparuhov gives Levski an important first-leg advantage
Stadion Georgi Asparuhov is located in the Poduyane area of Sofia, at ulitsa Todorini kukli 47. It opened in 1963 and is also known by the traditional nickname "Gerena". The city's tourism portal lists a capacity of around 28,000 seats, a grass pitch and a covered west stand.
During this qualifying summer, the stadium has already proved to be a very uncomfortable place for visiting teams. Borac Banja Luka lost 4-0 there, Universitatea Craiova 1-0, and Kairat also left Sofia with a defeat. For AEK supporters, that is a sufficiently clear warning that the first match will not only be a tactical test but also a psychological one.
Levski have an extremely active supporter base, and the proximity of the stands and the importance of the tie should raise the intensity from the opening minutes. AEK are also a club accustomed to loud environments, so the atmosphere itself is unlikely to surprise the visitors. More important will be how they react if Levski combine pressure with several dangerous attacks at the start.
Seats in the stands are disappearing quickly.
How to get to the stadium and what to plan in Sofia
For visitors arriving from other countries, the most important thing to know is that Stadion Georgi Asparuhov is not in Sofia's tourist centre itself, but northeast of the central city area, in Poduyane.
Visit Sofia lists bus 78 and trolleybus 1 as direct public transport options for the stadium. For an evening match of this profile, public transport may be more practical than trying to drive directly into the immediate area around the stadium.
- Address: ulitsa Todorini kukli 47, Poduyane, Sofia.
- Public transport listed for the stadium: bus 78 and trolleybus 1.
- When arriving by car, it is sensible to plan a parking place outside the busiest zone around the stadium in advance.
- It is reasonable to arrive at the stand well before kick-off because of the expected increase in traffic and entry checks.
- Current traffic changes on matchday should be checked before departure because major sporting events can affect access to surrounding streets.
Sofia is large enough for travelling supporters to combine the match with time in the city centre and then head towards Poduyane by public transport. For the journey back after the match, it is advisable to have an alternative planned in advance in case a larger concentration of people forms around the stadium.
It is worth securing tickets in good time.
What to watch from the first whistle
The first few minutes could reveal a great deal about Velázquez's plan. If Levski immediately push up their pressing line and force AEK's centre-backs into earlier long balls, the hosts will try to turn the stands and their European rhythm into an early advantage. If AEK calmly play through that pressure, Marin and the other midfielders could begin to control the tempo.
The second detail will be the positioning of Jović and Varga. If Nikolić uses two clearly central strikers, Levski's centre-backs will not have much room to leave their zone. If one striker remains more isolated, the hosts can more easily add another player in midfield and try to gain numerical control over Marin and his teammates.
At the other end, particular attention should be paid to how often Levski manage to release Oko-Flex and Reinaldo before AEK are fully set behind the ball. In the previous qualifying rounds, the hosts have already shown that they do not need ten big chances to get a result. In a tie like this, precisely that ability to punish a single mistake could prove decisive.
Discipline without the ball is also important for AEK. Against Borac, Levski showed that they can turn an even match into a convincing result in a short period, while against Craiova they proved that they know how to live with a small lead. The Greek champions therefore do not necessarily have to win in Sofia to open the path towards the league phase, but they must avoid a period in which the hosts could string together several dangerous situations and pull the entire stadium into the match.
Sources:
- UOL Esporte - confirmation of the Levski Sofia - AEK Athens pairing, the play-off schedule and the rules of the two-legged tie.
- PFC Levski Sofia - information on the team, coach, home matches and club address.
- AEK F.C. - information on the 2025/26 championship title, Marko Nikolić, the squad and the European campaign.
- Visit Sofia - information on Stadion Georgi Asparuhov, its location, capacity and public transport.
- AS - context on the Levski Sofia title and Julio Velázquez's work.
- Sports Mole and 11v11 - results of Levski Sofia's qualifying matches against Borac Banja Luka and Universitatea Craiova.
- FotMob and Goal - current squad, schedule and results of AEK Athens' friendly matches.