Maccabi Tel Aviv vs CSKA Sofia preview

Europe flag 2026/2027 Europa League, Europe
Batumi Stadium (Adjarabet Arena) Thu, 6 Aug - 4:00 PM
Europa League
Maccabi Tel AvivMTA
0 3
CSKA SofiaCSK
Full Time Thu, 6 Aug 4:00 PM
3rd Qualifying Round Leg 1 of 2
|
Goal
Maks Ebong - 9'
Joël Zwarts - 90'

CONTEXT

Maccabi Tel Aviv hosted CSKA Sofia in the first leg of a two-legged knockout tie that ended 0-3. CSKA Sofia scored twice before halftime to lead 0-2 at the interval and added one more goal in the second half. Home possession finished at 49 percent against 51 percent for the visitors. No red cards were issued to either side. Although Maccabi Tel Aviv entered as the stronger team the visitors claimed the win. The deviation level stayed minimal at 3.3 percent. Expected goals figures were not recorded leaving performance evaluation reliant on the final scoreline and possession balance. The result leaves CSKA Sofia with a clear advantage ahead of the return fixture.

TL;DR

  • Structural deviation: Structural deviation measured 3.3 percent and remained at a minimal level with CSKA Sofia as the deviation team.
  • Efficiency shift: Efficiency shift stayed in line with the observed match outcome.
  • xG alignment: Expected goals data was unavailable so alignment with the outcome could not be assessed.
  • Market alignment: The final result stayed aligned with pre-match indicators.
  • xG expectations: No expected goals values were available for either Maccabi Tel Aviv or CSKA Sofia.
  • Event impact: CSKA Sofia recorded a 0-3 win in leg one of the two-legged tie.
  • Red card distortion: No red cards occurred so match dynamics experienced no distortion from dismissals.
  • Market: Maccabi Tel Aviv 46.9% (Δ+46%) | Draw 28.8% (Δ+26.5%) | CSKA Sofia 24.3% (Δ-72.4%).
No standings statistics available.
No head-to-head records found.
0.5+ goals: 85%
1.5+ goals: 70%
2.5+ goals: 50%
3.5+ goals: 25%
Confidence: High (≥8 matches)

Quality vs Volume

Home: xG 1.8, Shots 12, xG/Shot 0.15
Away: xG 1.5, Shots 14, xG/Shot 0.11

Open Play vs Set Play

Open Play: 65%
Set Play: 35%

Expected Points

TeamxPts
Home1.8
Away1.2
ℹ️ Methodology: Expected Goals (xG) measures shot quality
M. Lukjančukas
M. Lukjančukas
Referee • 25 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 30.4
League Avg 0
Yellow Cards / Match
Referee 4
League Avg 0
Red Cards / Match
Referee 0.36
League Avg 0
Penalties / Match
Referee 0.36
League Avg 0
M. Mirauskas
M. Mirauskas
1st Assistant • 0 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Yellow Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Red Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Penalties / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
A. Stepanovas
A. Stepanovas
2nd Assistant • 0 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Yellow Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Red Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Penalties / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
O. Abramavičius
O. Abramavičius
4th Official • 0 matches
Fouls / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Yellow Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Red Cards / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Penalties / Match
Referee 0
League Avg 0
Maccabi Tel Aviv K. Miller
K. Miller
VS
CSKA Sofia H. Yanev
H. Yanev
3
Avg Points / Game (Last 100 Matches)
2
3 i
Last 6 Opponents
Sheriff Rank: W
Sheriff Rank: W
Avg Points / Game (Last 6 Matches)
2 i
Last 6 Opponents
Qarabağ Rank: D
Qarabağ Rank: D
Derry City Rank: W
Derry City Rank: W
0
Head to Head (Wins - Draws - Losses)
0 - 0 - 0
0

Win Probabilities

Live Win Probability (90 Min)
Home Maccabi Tel Aviv
46.91%
Draw
28.83%
Away CSKA Sofia
24.26%

Movement

Changes since opening
Maccabi Tel Aviv
+45.95%
Draw
+26.47%
CSKA Sofia
-72.42%

Team Power Ranking

i
What is Power Ranking?
Power score: composite of opponent-weighted form (last 6 & 20 games) and league position over last 3 seasons.
46.94
36.67
0 (Weakest) 100 (Strongest)
Metric
Maccabi Tel Aviv
CSKA Sofia
Power Score
46.94
36.67
League Position
-
-
Global Rank
-
-

Form Analysis Opponent-Weighted

Line chart of recent results (points/trend). Friendlies excluded by default. Hover for opponent, result, xG/xGA and power ranking — based on last 6 matches.

–
vs
Maccabi Tel Aviv — Opponent-weighted form score
CSKA Sofia — Opponent-weighted form score
Win (3 pts) Draw (1 pt) Loss (0 pts) Maccabi Tel Aviv CSKA Sofia

Heatmaps Ball coordinates

Attack and defence zones from ball position data. Filters: last 6 matches (overall/home/away), time period, competition.

–
vs

Maccabi Tel Aviv

Left / Center / Right —
Opposition half density —
vs season average —

CSKA Sofia

Left / Center / Right —
Opposition half density —
vs season average —
Possession Efficiency data not available for this match.

Set Pieces Efficiency Attack & Defence

Set-piece reliance and strength using expected metrics and actual outcomes for each team.

Maccabi Tel Aviv ⚠ Proxy
vs
⚠ Proxy CSKA Sofia
Created Set-piece attacking threat
Maccabi Tel Aviv CSKA Sofia
Set-piece xG Share Share of total expected goals generated from set pieces. Higher = more set-piece reliant in attack.
—
—
Goals per Match Average set-piece goals scored per match.
0.00 0.00
vs Expected (xG) Goals scored minus set-piece xG. Positive = overperforming; Negative = underperforming expectations.
— vs —
Conceded Set-piece defensive exposure
Maccabi Tel Aviv CSKA Sofia
Set-piece xGA Share Share of total expected goals conceded from set pieces. Higher = more exposed to set pieces defensively.
—
—
Conceded per Match Average set-piece goals conceded per match.
0.00 0.00
vs Expected (xGA) Goals conceded minus set-piece xGA. Positive = conceding more than expected (bad); Negative = conceding less than expected (good).
— vs —
xG set-piece data unavailable for both teams. Values estimated using proxy metrics (shots, dangerous attacks). Confidence: Medium.
Maccabi Tel Aviv
CSKA Sofia
xG Share = set-piece xG ÷ total xG
vs Expected = goals − set-piece xG

Counter / Transition Attack & Defence

What happens in the 15 seconds immediately after possession changes hands — based on Last 6 matches.

–
Maccabi Tel Aviv
vs
CSKA Sofia
Attack After Winning Possession transition → offence
Maccabi Tel Aviv CSKA Sofia
Goals per Match Average goals scored within 15s of winning the ball per match. ↑ better
—
—
Shots per Match Average shots taken within 15s of winning the ball per match. ↑ better
—
—
Dangerous Attacks Average dangerous attacks launched within 15s of winning possession per match. ↑ better
—
—
Transition Efficiency Index Composite score (0–1) of how efficiently this team attacks within 15s of winning the ball. Higher = more dangerous on transition. Higher = stronger on the counter
Maccabi Tel Aviv 0.00
CSKA Sofia 0.00
Defence After Losing Possession loss → defensive exposure
Maccabi Tel Aviv CSKA Sofia
Goals Conceded Average goals conceded within 15s of losing the ball per match. ↓ better
—
—
Shots Conceded Average shots conceded within 15s of losing the ball per match. ↓ better
—
—
Dangerous Attacks Conceded Average dangerous attacks allowed within 15s of losing possession per match. ↓ better
—
—
Vulnerability Index Composite score (0–1) of how exposed this team is within 15s of losing the ball. Lower = better at preventing transition attacks. Lower = better transition defence
Maccabi Tel Aviv 0.00
CSKA Sofia 0.00
Maccabi Tel Aviv
CSKA Sofia
Window = 15s post-possession change
Index = 0–1 composite score

PRESSURE INDEX

Momentum phases from smoothed minute-by-minute pressure.

  • MTA had peak pressure around 17'.
  • CSK started the game with stronger pressure.
MTA Pressure CSK Pressure
⚡
Pressure Index: MTA reached the top pressure at 17' (55.86).

STARTING XI

Match Formation 4-2-3-1
Match Formation 4-3-3
Pitch

General Information

Date & Time
Aug 06, 2026, 04:00 PM
Competition
2026/2027 Europa League, Europe · 3rd Qualifying Round · Leg 1 of 2
Stadium
Batumi Stadium (Adjarabet Arena)
Capacity
20000
Pitch Surface
Grass
Weather
☀️ 12°C, Fair
Referees
Manfredas Lukjančukas
Mangirdas Mirauskas
Aleksandras Stepanovas
Orestas Abramavičius

Statistics

Possession
MTA
52%
CSK
48%

Top Statistics

0 Goals 3
4 Shots 2
86 Dangerous attacks 56
49 Possession 51
3 Corners 2
17 Free kicks 22
3 Yellow Cards 4

Match Overview

7 Goal Kicks 10
5 Substitutions 4
20 Throwins 14

Attacking

113 Attacks 99

Defensive

3 Saves 2

Discipline

1 Offsides 0
21 Fouls 15

Lineup

Referee : Manfredas Lukjančukas

Starting XI ▼

22
Ofek Melika
Ofek Melika Goalkeeper
6.5
5
Mohamed Camara
Mohamed Camara Defender
6.5
13
Raz Shlomo
Raz Shlomo Defender
6.5
25
Shahar Rosen
Shahar Rosen Defender
21
Noam Ben Harush
Noam Ben Harush
Defender46'
41
Itay Ben Hemo
Itay Ben Hemo Defender
6.5
6
Tyrese Asante
Tyrese Asante
Defender46'
28
Issouf Sissokho
Issouf Sissokho Midfielder
6.6
29
Hélio Varela
Hélio Varela Midfielder
6.5
19
Elad Madmon
Elad Madmon
Attacker77'
30
Itamar Noy
Itamar Noy Midfielder
6.5
36
Ido Shahar
Ido Shahar Midfielder
6.56
77
Osher Davida
Osher Davida
Midfielder66'
42
Dor Peretz
Dor Peretz (C) Midfielder
6.6
34
Sayed Abu Farkhi
Sayed Abu Farkhi Attacker
6.74
9
Ester Sokler
Ester Sokler
Attacker66'
Referee : Manfredas Lukjančukas

Starting XI ▼

21
Fedor Lapoukhov
Fedor Lapoukhov Goalkeeper
6.29
2
Pastor
Pastor Defender
6.36
38
Léo Pereira
Léo Pereira
Midfielder90+1'
5
Jean-Philippe Gbamin
Jean-Philippe Gbamin Defender
6.5
14
Teodor Ivanov
Teodor Ivanov Defender
6.32
17
Ángelo Martino
Ángelo Martino Defender
6.32
32
Facundo Rodríguez
Facundo Rodríguez Defender
6.32
6
Bruno Jordão
Bruno Jordão Midfielder
6.45
99
James Eto'o
James Eto'o
Midfielder66'
7
Maks Ebong
Maks Ebong Midfielder
6.5
8
Stefano Sensi
Stefano Sensi Midfielder
6.45
9
Leandro Godoy
Leandro Godoy Attacker
6.46
11
Mohamed Brahimi
Mohamed Brahimi
Midfielder79'
28
Ioannis Pittas
Ioannis Pittas Attacker
6.72
10
Joël Zwarts
Joël Zwarts
Attacker66'

Events

2ND-HALF
90+4'
Event
Stefano Sensi
7th Yellowcard
90+1'
Event
Léo Pereira → Pastor
9th Substitution
90'
Event
Joël Zwarts
Field Goal / 3rd Goal
Event
Raz Shlomo
Unsportsmanlike conduct / 5th Yellowcard
85'
85'
Event
Joël Zwarts
Tripping / 6th Yellowcard
79'
Event
Mohamed Brahimi → Leandro Godoy
8th Substitution
Event
Elad Madmon → Hélio Varela
7th Substitution
77'
Event
Osher Davida → Ido Shahar
3rd Substitution
66'
Event
Ester Sokler → Sayed Abu Farkhi
5th Substitution
66'
66'
Event
James Eto'o → Bruno Jordão
4th Substitution
66'
Event
Joël Zwarts → Ioannis Pittas
6th Substitution
54'
Event
Ioannis Pittas
Unsportsmanlike conduct / 4th Yellowcard
Event
Tyrese Asante → Itay Ben Hemo
1st Substitution
46'
Event
Noam Ben Harush → Shahar Rosen
2nd Substitution
46'
1ST-HALF
Event
Mohamed Camara
Holding / 3rd Yellowcard
43'
Event
Sayed Abu Farkhi
Holding / 2nd Yellowcard
31'
29'
Event
Leandro Godoy
Field Goal / 2nd Goal
18'
Event
Bruno Jordão
Holding / 1st Yellowcard
9'
Event
Maks Ebong
Field Goal / 1st Goal

Match Commentary

90
Update Update
Match ends with a score of 0-3.
90
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Stefano Sensi receives a yellow card.
90
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
90
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! Joel Zwarts scores, making it 0-3.
86
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Yellow card issued to Raz Shlomo.
85
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Yellow card issued to Joel Zwarts.
78
Update Update
Mohamed Brahimi comes on for Santiago Leandro Godoy.
77
Update Update
Elad Madmon comes on for Helio Varela.
66
Update Update
On Ester Sokler, off Sayd Abu Farhi.
66
Update Update
Osher Davida is on, and Ido Shahar is off.
66
Substitution Substitution
Joel Zwarts is substituted for Ioannis Pittas.
62
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
54
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Yellow card issued to Ioannis Pittas.
50
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
46
Update Update
Tyrese Asante comes on for Itai Ben Hamo.
46
Substitution Substitution
Noam Ben Harush is substituted off for Shahar Rosen.
44
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Yellow card issued to Mohamed Aly Camara.
31
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Yellow card issued to Sayd Abu Farhi.
29
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! Santiago Leandro Godoy scores, making it 0-2.
29
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
19
Yellow Card Yellow Card Important
Yellow card shown to Facundo Rodriguez.
17
Corner Corner
Corner awarded.
9
GOAL! GOAL! Important
Goal! The score is now 0-1.
1
Update Update
Kick-off! The referee is Manfredas Lukjancukas.

CONCLUSION

The 0-3 defeat leaves Maccabi Tel Aviv facing an uphill task in the second leg after CSKA Sofia controlled key moments and converted chances efficiently. Even possession figures of 49 to 51 percent show that territorial parity did not produce goals for the home side. The absence of expected goals data restricts analysis of chance quality behind the scoreline. With no red cards issued the contest followed a standard disciplinary path. CSKA Sofia now holds a strong aggregate position and can approach the return fixture with tactical flexibility. Maccabi Tel Aviv must improve conversion rates and defensive organization to alter the tie trajectory.