- Team form: OFI FC have won only 1 of their last 5 games and have suffered back-to-back defeats.
- Opponent form: PFC CSKA Sofia have won 4 of their last 5 matches, losing just 1 of their previous 10.
- Home form: OFI FC have 2 wins and a loss from 3 home games this season, but have conceded 3 goals in 3.
CSKA Sofia can steal a victory in Greece
OFI FC and PFC CSKA Sofia have shown contrasting form in the build-up to this Europa League play-off tie and there is no doubt that the winner will move a big step closer to the league phase and the big money that comes with it.
OFI FC
The Cretans have had a mixed bag of a season so far, winning 4, drawing 1 and losing 5 of their 10 matches across all competitions. The Cretans are a little up and down and Christos Kontis has been at the helm since 30 October 2025.
He sets them up with a back three and wing-backs that give them width on the break, when they can be a real threat.
The last two results for OFI FC were both away from home, a 4-0 defeat to Go Ahead Eagles and 2-1 loss to Willem II Tilburg, two friendly club matches played in the Netherlands.
PFC CSKA Sofia
PFC CSKA Sofia are enjoying much better form than OFI with 7 wins, 2 draws and just 1 defeat in their previous 10. Hristo Yanev has taken the Bulgarian team to another level since his appointment on 24 September 2025 and they are now a real force in the European qualifiers.
The Army Men prefer to have the ball in the centre of the field and be patient in their build-up play, but they can turn the screw with a higher press and vertical play when required.
Key players and recent results
Both teams to score at 1.6 looks tempting for the match at Pankritio Stadium in Greece, but in a play-off match like this, it is perhaps safer to take the win for PFC CSKA Sofia at 2.95 rather than OFI FC at 2.45 or the draw at 3.3.
CSKA Sofia are the form team and are more reliable on the road than the Cretans, so we are siding with the visitors to get the result that puts them one step closer to the group stages.
- Juan Angel Neira has been the star of the season so far with 2 of the side's 6 goals coming from his boot in the last 5.
- Ioannis Pittas has been their chief threat in UEFA Europa League Qualification 2026, netting 3 in 6, as they look to make it through to the next round after beating Maccabi Tel-Aviv 3-0 and Septemvri Sofia 3-0.
- But they suffered a 3-1 defeat to Maccabi Tel-Aviv earlier today in UEFA Europa League Qualification 2026, so their confidence will have been shaken.
