Levski Sofia and Universitatea Craiova Set for Tight First-Leg Battle

Levski Sofia will host Universitatea Craiova in the first leg of their Champions League second qualifying round tie early on Thursday morning. Both sides are in strong form and neither holds a clear edge, so the opening match is expected to be tightly contested.

Levski Sofia advanced from the previous round against Borac Banja Luka with one win and one draw over the two legs. In the return match at home, Levski Sofia ran out 4-0 winners thanks to a brace from Rildo. Including league and friendly matches, they are unbeaten in their last five home games in all competitions, with four wins and one draw. Their attack has also been in full flow, scoring at least four goals in three of those matches. Even with Universitatea Craiova arriving in good shape, Levski Sofia can take confidence from their strong attacking record at home.

Universitatea Craiova are also unbeaten in their last five matches in all competitions within 90 minutes, posting four wins and one draw. They have scored four goals in three of those games, showing that their attacking output is just as impressive. In their last two matches against Vitebsk and UTA Arad, they kept clean sheets in both, which underlines the stability of their defence. At the same time, in their most recent Champions League away match, they found the net as early as the fourth minute, suggesting their away form in Europe has also been reliable. They will travel without fear against Levski Sofia.