Carrion to face his former club right away: prediction for Spartak Trnava vs CSKA 1948 Sofia — 22.07.2026
CSKA 1948
On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, the Anton Malatinsky Stadium in Trnava will host the first leg of the UEFA Conference League's second qualifying round, where local side Spartak will take on Bulgarian outfit CSKA 1948. Kickoff is set for 20:30 local time. The return leg will be played on July 28 at the Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia, making this home fixture especially significant for the Slovak side.
Spartak Trnava: A goal-filled rehearsal before the European campaign
Spartak embark on their sixth consecutive European qualifying campaign. Antonio Muñoz's side haven’t played an official match this season yet: after facing CSKA 1948, they’ll kick off their league campaign against Skalica on July 25. This means the Conference League will be their first real test after summer preparations.
The results from their friendlies were mixed. Spartak drew 1-1 with Slovacko and 2-2 with Samorin, lost 1-3 to Kromeriz, but wrapped up preseason with a thrilling 3-2 home win over Besiktas. Across their last three friendlies, a total of 13 goals were scored—an accurate reflection of Trnava’s current style: relentless attacking but leaving plenty of space at the back.
Spartak looked especially convincing at the end of the first half against Besiktas. Trailing after an early goal, the hosts responded with three goals in eight minutes—Filip Azango, Lorent Mehmeti, and Filip Trello all found the net. This attacking trio, along with Timotej Kudlička, could well feature in the starting lineup for the European clash.
There’s extra intrigue around Juanmi Carrion. The Spanish left-back joined Spartak on July 12 from none other than CSKA 1948, signing a one-year deal with an option to extend. Just two days later, he started against Besiktas, so it’s quite possible he’ll face his former club right away. His knowledge of the Bulgarian side’s strengths and weaknesses could give the hosts an added edge.
CSKA 1948: Official season already underway
Unlike their opponents, CSKA 1948 have already kicked off their domestic campaign. In the opening round, Aleksandar Aleksandrov’s team drew 2-2 away to Spartak Varna. Down by two at halftime, the Sofia side changed the game after substitutions: Mamadou Diallo and Frederic Maciel leveled the score, and another late goal was disallowed.
This match highlighted both the main strength and the key weakness of the Bulgarian club. CSKA 1948 have good attacking depth and can shift gears after the break, but their defense sometimes struggles to handle quick counterattacks and pressure. Such mistakes could prove costly in Trnava, especially given how lively Azango and Mehmeti are on the wings.
In their last friendly before the league started, CSKA 1948 beat Serbian side Zeleznicar 1-0. The only goal came from Borislav Tsonev, who also came off the bench against Spartak Varna. Thus, the Bulgarian team approach their European opener unbeaten in two matches and with several bench options ready to make an impact.
Squad news and probable lineups
At the time of writing, UEFA had yet to publish the official squad lists for this match. There were also no confirmed reports of injuries or suspensions specifically for the July 22 clash, so the projected lineups are based on recent friendlies and official matches.
- Spartak Trnava: Vantruba — Kostrna, Sabo, Bajrami, Carrion — Lausich, Strucka — Azango, Trello, Mehmeti — Kudlička.
- CSKA 1948: Marinov — Dvali, Parkhomenko, Gashevich, Diego Medina — Hector Cuellar, F. Krebs, Georgi Rusev, M. Boychev — Mamadou Diallo, Martinez.
This was the starting lineup Spartak used in the first half of their win over Besiktas, while the CSKA 1948 players listed here started the Bulgarian league match against Spartak Varna.
Match facts
- Spartak have scored in all four of their summer friendlies.
- At least four goals were scored in each of Spartak’s last three friendlies.
- CSKA 1948 came back from 0-2 in their first official match of the season.
- Mamadou Diallo and Frederic Maciel have already opened their accounts in the new Bulgarian league season.
- Spartak are playing their first official match of the season, while the visitors already have competitive game time under their belts.
- The return leg will take place in Sofia in less than a week—on July 28.
Home attack should give Spartak a narrow edge: prediction for Spartak Trnava vs CSKA 1948
CSKA 1948 look physically sharper thanks to their league opener. The Bulgarian side showed real character in Varna and boast dangerous talents like Diallo, Rusev, Maciel, and Tsonev. The visitors are more than capable of taking advantage of their opponent’s defensive lapses when transitioning from attack to defense.
However, Spartak have gained a crucial psychological boost ahead of this European tie. The win over Besiktas, three goals in a single half, and the support of the home crowd should enable Muñoz’s team to take the initiative. Plus, Carrion knows the upcoming opponent inside out, and Trnava’s pace on the flanks could cause serious problems for a defense that just conceded twice to Spartak Varna.
The first leg of this two-match tie is unlikely to become a reckless, open affair. CSKA 1948 will aim to keep the tie alive for the return in Sofia, but the hosts have enough attacking firepower to eke out a slight advantage. The most likely scenario—a narrow Spartak victory by a single goal.
Prediction: Spartak Trnava to win.
