Maccabi Tel Aviv vs CSKA Sofia Prediction 6 August 2026

The summer has been going well for Žarko Lazетić's side. Maccabi have won three consecutive official matches, and the tie against Sheriff was pretty one-sided. A 5-0 win away from home effectively settled the tie before the second leg, which they wrapped up comfortably, 1-0.

What stands out isn't just the scorelines - it's the quality of the football. Maccabi control the ball well, transition quickly from defence to attack, and rarely let opponents build anything dangerous. Dor Peretz remains one of the key figures, continuing to pull the strings in attack just as he did last season. The quick wide players cause problems too, giving the team a consistent advantage out wide.

Despite being the nominal home side, there won't be anything resembling a home atmosphere. The match is being played in Batumi, so Maccabi can't count on their own fans in the stands. That said, the way they've been playing, they look confident enough to go in as favourites even in these circumstances.

CSKA Sofia's last match was in the Bulgarian First League - a 2:1 home win over Dunav Ruse. Here are the stats (CSKA Sofia vs Dunav Ruse):

• possession: 71% vs 29%;
• corners: 5 vs 2;
• fouls: 10 vs 9;
• yellow cards: 3 vs 1;
• shots on target: 8 vs 2.

The Bulgarian club also arrive unbeaten in nine matches across all competitions, though their path to the third qualifying round was considerably harder. After getting past Derry City, they ran into Karabakh - both legs ended goalless, and it took a penalty shootout to keep CSKA in the competition.

Hristo Yanev's approach has been clear for several matches now. The Bulgarians rarely commit numbers forward, relying instead on compact organisation and keeping dangerous moments to a minimum at their own end. Up front, Joel Zwarts is the main threat - he scored recently in the Bulgarian league - while Facundo Rodriguez and goalkeeper Fyodor Lapoukhov provide defensive solidity. Lapoukhov in particular impressed in the shootout against Karabakh.

Defensive discipline is the visitors' main weapon. CSKA are unlikely to abandon that approach for the first leg of a two-legged tie. If anything, they'll look to keep things tight and take something into the return match in Sofia.