Derry City take on CSKA Sofia at The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium in the second leg of the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round on Thursday. The winners will progress to the second round of the UEFA Europa League qualifiers, while the losers will drop down into the UEFA Conference League main path second qualifying round.
The first leg in Sofia ended 3-2 in favor of the home side at Vasil Levski National Sports Academy last week. A brace from CSKA Sofia’s Ioannis Pittas and a goal from Bruno Jordao canceled out strikes from Derry City’s James Olayinka and Liam Boyce.
The narrow one-goal lead gives Sofia some confidence as they travel for the second leg.
Derry City finished second in the League of Ireland Premier Division last season with 63 points from 36 matches, three points behind winners Shamrock Rovers, earning them a spot in the Europa League qualifiers.
The team known as the Candystripes are already more than halfway through the 2026 top-flight season. They are placed sixth in the standings with 29 points from 25 games, 21 points behind Shamrock Rovers at the top of the standings.
Derry City lost 4-2 to Waterford in their most recent league match on 3 July.
It does not look like Derry City will maintain a similar league finish to the last campaign, but they can still salvage progress to the next round of the Europa League qualifiers if they turn the aggregate score in their favor at home this Thursday.
Meanwhile, Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia have earned their place in this season’s Europa League by winning the 2025-26 Bulgarian Cup. They defeated Lokomotiv Plovdiv 4-3 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in regulation time at the Vasil Levski National Stadium.
The Army Men are in preseason mode at the moment, playing friendly matches to prepare for the new domestic season in Bulgaria. CSKA Sofia beat Marek 3-0 in their most recent friendly fixture on 3 July.
Derry City vs CSKA Sofia head-to-head stats and key numbers
- The first-leg meeting between these two sides was the first time that they have played against each other.
- Derry City are in poor recent form, with three losses, one win, and one draw in their five most recent matches across all competitions.
- CSKA Sofia are in good form at the moment, with their last five matches across all competitions producing four wins and a single loss against Polissya.
Derry City vs CSKA Sofia prediction
Derry City will need to score to have any hope of advancing to the next round, so they are expected to push forward aggressively at home in search of goals, which could provide opportunities for CSKA Sofia to exploit the Irish side on the break with the space left behind Derry City’s advancing defensive line.
We expect this match to end in a low-scoring draw.
Prediction: Derry City 1-1 CSKA Sofia
Derry City vs CSKA Sofia betting tips
Tip 1: Draw
Tip 2: Both teams to score
Tip 3: Under 2.5 goals
Edited by Peter Pedroncelli
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