Universitatea Craiova vs Levski Sofia – 29 Jul 2026

Universitatea Craiova vs Levski Sofia — UEFA Champions League Second Qualifying Round (2nd Leg)
29 July 2026, 20:30 CEST | Ion Oblemenco Stadium, Craiova

Universitatea Craiova host Bulgarian champions Levski Sofia in the second leg needing to overturn a narrow 1-0 deficit from the first meeting in Sofia, where an eighth-minute goal proved decisive and Levski held on for the rest of the match.

First-leg recap:
Levski scored early and then managed the game to protect their lead, limiting a Craiova side that has otherwise looked sharp domestically. The single-goal margin keeps this tie very much alive heading into the return leg at home in Craiova.

Form heading in:
Craiova, Romanian champions for the first time since 1991, arrived into the new season fresh off a Super Cup win but have hit a rocky patch: a 4-0 opening win over UTA was followed by a heavy 1-5 defeat to Dinamo Bucharest, meaning they head into this leg on a two-match losing run in all competitions. Mihnea Rădulescu is their only injury absence. In their expected 3-4-3 setup, the attacking trio of Bayaram, Elizor and Etim will need to be more clinical than they were in Sofia.

Levski Sofia, who ended Ludogorets' long spell of domestic dominance last season, are unbeaten in 12 matches across all competitions and have started the new campaign strongly — 2-1 wins over both Dunav Ruse and local rivals Lokomotiv Sofia, plus a comfortable European win over Borac after a draw in the first leg of that tie. They travel to Romania with a clean bill of health and only need to avoid defeat to progress.

Prediction & odds:
Bookmakers make Craiova favourites on the night at around 1.91 (10/11), with the draw priced near 3.50 and a Levski win out at 4.00 — reflecting home advantage rather than doubt about Levski's quality. Given the tightness of the first leg and Levski's defensive solidity, a low-scoring, tense affair looks likely; a 1-1 draw would send Levski through on away form, and that's the shape many are backing here.