CSKA Sofia Stun Maccabi Tel Aviv in Europa League First Leg

CSKA Sofia delivered a commanding 3-0 victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv in the first leg of their Europa League two-legged tie, played on August 6th, 2026. The Bulgarian side now carry a significant advantage into the second leg, leaving Kenny Miller's men with an enormous deficit to overturn.

Match Analysis

CSKA Sofia wasted little time announcing their intentions. Max Ebong Ngome broke the deadlock in the 9th minute, finishing off an assist from Santiago Leandro Godoy to put the visitors firmly in control early on. The goal set the tone for what was to come, and the home side never truly recovered from that early blow.

The Bulgarians doubled their lead before the half-hour mark when Santiago Leandro Godoy turned from provider to scorer in the 29th minute, this time assisted by Ioannis Pittas. Two goals in the opening half an hour effectively ended Maccabi Tel Aviv's hopes of a competitive first-leg performance.

The statistics paint a clear picture of CSKA Sofia's clinical efficiency. Despite Maccabi Tel Aviv generating 113 attacks to CSKA's 99, the Israeli side could only muster 7 shots in total, with just 2 on target. CSKA Sofia, by contrast, registered 14 shots overall with 6 on target — a conversion rate that underlines their sharpness in the final third. Possession was near-even at 51% to 49% in CSKA's favour, meaning the Bulgarian side won this tie through cutting edge rather than dominance of the ball.

Maccabi Tel Aviv's frustrations were visible in the disciplinary record. The home side committed 21 fouls compared to CSKA's 15, picking up yellow cards for Sayd Abu Farhi, Mohamed Aly Camara, and Raz Shlomo across the course of the match. CSKA were not without their own indiscretions — Bruno Jordão, Ioannis Pittas, Joël Zwarts, and Stefano Sensi all received bookings — but their discipline lapses came without the same damaging consequences.

Half-time substitutions from Kenny Miller saw Tyrese Asante and Noam Ben Harush introduced, and further changes including Osher Davida and Ester Sokler followed in the 66th minute, signalling a desperate search for a way back into the match. However, substitute Joël Zwarts — who had come on at the 66th minute for CSKA — sealed the result in the 90th minute, assisted by Pastor, adding a third goal that makes the second leg a near-formality for Hristo Angelov Yanev's side.

Prediction Review

Our pre-match analysis favoured Maccabi Tel Aviv with a 2-1 home win forecast, reflecting a 48% probability for the home side. With a confidence level of just 55/100, there was acknowledged uncertainty — and CSKA Sofia emphatically proved the forecast wrong. The 24% away-win probability materialised into a dominant three-goal victory, a result few models would have predicted given the respective profiles of both sides.

Key Takeaways

• CSKA Sofia hold a commanding 3-0 advantage heading into the second leg, making progression to the next round a near-certainty.
• Max Ebong Ngome and Santiago Leandro Godoy were pivotal to the victory, each contributing both a goal and an assist across the first two CSKA strikes.
• Maccabi Tel Aviv's attacking output was largely ineffective — 86 dangerous attacks yet only 2 shots on target highlight a worrying lack of quality in the final third.
• Kenny Miller faces a monumental task to reverse a three-goal deficit in the second leg.