Maccabi Tel Aviv Faces Bulgarian Powerhouse CSKA Sofia in Europa League Qualifiers

Maccabi Tel Aviv advanced to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League after a comfortable second-leg victory over Sheriff Tiraspol. Their next opponent will be CSKA Sofia, Bulgaria's most decorated football club with 31 league titles and a rich European history. Despite finishing fourth in the Bulgarian league last season, CSKA Sofia reached the Bulgarian Cup final, narrowly losing to Lokomotiv Plovdiv in a penalty shootout.

CSKA Sofia's most notable European achievement came in the 1981/82 season when they reached the European Cup semi-finals, eliminating teams like Real Sociedad, Glentoran, and Liverpool before falling to Bayern Munich. The team is led offensively by Argentine striker Santiago Leandro Godoy, the squad's top scorer, and recently signed Stefano Sensi, a surprising acquisition from Inter Milan.

CSKA Sofia began their Europa League qualifiers with a 5-3 aggregate win over Irish side Derry City and then defeated Qarabag in a penalty shootout after 210 minutes of play. For Maccabi Tel Aviv, this matchup represents a crucial test on their path to securing a spot in the group stages of European competition. A victory over CSKA Sofia would advance them to the playoff round, guaranteeing at least a place in the UEFA Conference League group stage even if they lose in the playoffs.