Ferencváros vs Ludogorets: prediction, head-to-head and probable lineups – 26 February 2026
One of the most intriguing second-leg encounters of the Europa League play-off round will take place this Thursday in Budapest at the Groupama Arena, where Ferencváros host Bulgarian champions Ludogorets. The Hungarian champions face a narrow deficit after a 1-2 defeat in the first leg, but with the home crowd behind them, the hosts have every reason to believe in a comeback. Here’s a prediction for the outcome of this clash, with strong odds for success.
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Match preview
Robbie Keane’s side delivered a more compelling performance in the first leg in Razgrad: 1.57 xG to 0.47, 17 shots, and territorial dominance, but ultimately fell 1-2, conceding the decisive goal in the second half. The only goal for Ferencváros came from Yusuf Bamidele, his third in this Europa League campaign. Judging by the performance, the Hungarians were certainly not inferior and can argue that the result did not reflect the real balance of power.
Domestically, the "Greens" are also maintaining a high tempo: last weekend, they defeated MTK Budapest (3-1) thanks to goals from Kovacevic, Akolatse, and Madaras. At home in the Europa League, Ferencváros boasts six wins in their last eight matches, and against Ludogorets in Budapest, the Hungarians have won three out of four head-to-heads, including a 3-1 triumph in the group stage of this campaign. That’s a crucial psychological edge going into the return leg.
The Bulgarian champions approach this match on the back of a painful defeat to Botev Plovdiv (1-2), with their opponents down to ten men and the decisive goal conceded deep into stoppage time. Prior to that, Per-Mathias Høgmo’s men had put together a six-match winning streak, including a crucial victory over Nice in the final round of the Europa League group stage, which secured their play-off berth.
However, on the road in European competition, the "Eagles" have traditionally struggled: 13 defeats in their last 20 away matches in the main Europa League draw, including three consecutive losses. In the first leg against Ferencváros, the Bulgarians were pragmatic and efficient, but statistically came up short in nearly every key metric. In Budapest, they’ll have to cope without the suspended Dinis Almeida, which could seriously undermine the reliability of their central defence.
Probable lineups
- Ferencváros: Grof; Gomez, Raemaekers, Szalai; Chisse, Kanihovski, Othvos, Abu Fani, Nagy; Bamidele, Kovacevic.
- Ludogorets: Bonmann; Son, Nachmias, Verdon, Nedyalkov; Duarte, Naressi; Stanic, Nogueira, Vidal; Duah.
Match facts and head-to-head
- In the first leg in Razgrad, Ludogorets won 2-1 despite Ferencváros having the advantage in shots (17:10) and xG (1.57 vs 0.47).
- Ferencváros have won three out of four home European matches against Ludogorets, twice by a margin greater than one goal.
- Ludogorets have lost 13 of their last 20 away games in the main Europa League draw.
Prediction
Based on last week’s performance, Ferencváros already looked like a team capable of controlling the tie. With the backing of the Groupama Arena and considering the Bulgarians’ poor away record in Europe, the hosts stand a great chance of turning the tables — a bet on Ferencváros to win and progress to the next round looks well justified.
