Will Levski break the resistance of the Bosnian contenders on their way to the second round of the UCL? Prediction for Levski vs Borac
On Tuesday, July 14, 2026, at 19:30 Central European Time, the Georgi Asparuhov Stadium in Sofia will host the return leg of the UEFA Champions League 2026/2027 first qualifying round. Bulgarian side Levski welcomes the champions of Bosnia and Herzegovina—Borac Banja Luka—to their electrifying home ground.
The first leg, played a week ago at the "City Stadium" in Bosnia, left both teams with everything to play for after a gritty 1-1 draw. The Bosnians took the lead early on with a penalty from Luka Juricic, but in the second half, English substitute Armstrong Oko-Flex rescued Levski from defeat. Now, in Sofia, neither side can afford a misstep.
Under Spanish manager Julio Velázquez, Levski managed to secure a crucial result in Banja Luka. Oko-Flex’s goal has significantly simplified their task for the home leg. Traditionally, the Bulgarians play with fire and aggression on their own turf, but Velázquez is forced to improvise amid a serious personnel crisis. Due to various injuries, several key players may miss the return fixture: Stipe Vuličić, Karl Fabien, and Mustafa Sangaré are all doubts. The creative burden will fall on Everton Balu and first-leg scorer Oko-Flex.
Expect Levski to take control of possession from the start, looking to pin the Bosnians back with an early onslaught. Borac will deliberately set up a compact mid-block, aiming to deprive Oko-Flex and Balu of any space for surging runs. The match may well hinge on the first major mistake.
Borac, meanwhile, let a home victory slip through their fingers but left a strong impression overall. Their main attacking threat remains forward Luka Juricic, who consistently battles for every ball and keeps opposition defenders on their toes. The team is in excellent physical shape and will arrive in Sofia with a clear plan: defend with discipline, shut down the flanks, and wait for opportunities from set pieces or quick counterattacks.
Before this Champions League campaign, these clubs had never met in official competition. Thus, their entire head-to-head history consists of just last week’s draw.
- 07.07.2026 (1st leg): Borac - Levski - 1:1 (Goals: Juricic (pen) - Oko-Flex)
What’s the best bet for this clash?
Second-leg matches in the opening rounds of the Champions League are always tactical battles of nerves. Nobody will be rushing forward from the opening whistle. Borac will come to "park the bus" and endure, while Levski’s injuries up front could make breaking down the Bosnian defense a real challenge. The classic cup-style "under" looks like the safest option here. My prediction—Total under 2.5 goals (U2.5).
