Levski return in front of their supporters with the ambition of taking another important step towards qualifying for the Europa League knockout stages. “The Blues” host Polish side Jagiellonia Białystok in a match from the fourth round of the tournament’s league phase. The game will be played at the Vasil Levski National Stadium, with kick-off at 19:45.
The match will be refereed by Albanian official Enea Jorgji, while responsibility for the VAR system has been entrusted to Italy’s Daniele Doveri.
Julio Velázquez’s men occupy 18th place in the provisional standings with four points. Jagiellonia are 27th with three points. Another win for the Sofia side, which would be their second in a row in the tournament, could significantly improve their chances of finishing among the top 24 teams progressing to the next phase.
Levski are in good form ahead of the match. The Bulgarian team are unbeaten in their last six games in all competitions, recording four wins and two draws. Interestingly, all of those matches were away games. The Blues’ last match in front of their home supporters was on 17 September, when they lost 0:1 to Red Bull Salzburg in their opening game of the Europa League league phase.
Velázquez’s side will now attempt to extend their successful run and delight their fans ahead of the upcoming derby against CSKA at the weekend.
At the pre-match press conference, the Spanish coach was adamant that Levski would not change their playing philosophy depending on the opponent.
“We will not change it against Jagiellonia, nor against Real Madrid,” Velázquez said regarding the style of play he is developing within the team.
The coach praised the players for their performances in the last six away games, but stressed that the team must not be satisfied with what they have achieved and must continue to build on it. Velázquez also highlighted the strengths of their Polish opponents, singling out their quick transitions from defence to attack and their vertical passing.
The coach called on his players to approach the match with maximum concentration and discipline, as any complacency could be punished by the opponent.
“We need to produce our best version,” the Spaniard stressed.
Levski will also face selection problems ahead of the important European clash. Asen Mitkov and Radoslav Kirilov will miss out due to injuries, while Mustafa Sangaré, Oliver Kammdem and Petko Hristov have not been registered for the tournament.
In attack, the Blues will pin their hopes on Reinaldo, who has scored two goals and provided one assist in his last two Europa League appearances. Everton Bala is also in good form after scoring in the victory over Viktoria Plzeň in Levski’s previous European match.
Jagiellonia arrive in Sofia with increased confidence after three consecutive wins in all competitions. Last season’s bronze medallists in the Polish Ekstraklasa went through a more difficult period, but gradually managed to stabilise their performances. Adrian Siemieniec’s team recorded two successive league victories, and in between them thrashed Lechia Gdańsk 6:0 in the Polish Cup.
The Polish side also have considerable experience on the European stage. In 2025, Jagiellonia reached the quarter-finals of the Conference League.
In this season’s Europa League campaign, the team began with a 1:2 defeat to Olympiacos, after which they beat Ararat-Armenia 3:1. In the third round, however, the Poles suffered a heavy 0:3 defeat to Anderlecht.
Jagiellonia will now be looking for points in Sofia to improve their position in the standings. Among the key figures in the squad are Jesús Imaz and Niko Prelec, who scored in successive matches. Prelec has already been directly involved in nine goals this season. Adrian Siemieniec, however, will be unable to rely on the injured Norbert Wojtuszek.
Levski have the opportunity to consolidate their good form and take a major step towards progressing further in the European competition.