- Across all competitions, Ludogorets are unbeaten in their last 3 home matches (W2, D1).
- Across all competitions, Hapoel have won 2 consecutive matches.
- Ludogorets' average home scoring and conceding record in all competitions is 1.00 and 1.00 respectively.
Ludogorets looking to bounce back
PFC Ludogorets Razgrad come into this game following a 1-0 win at home to PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1936 in the Parva Liga 2026/2027. The last time out was the 2-0 defeat away to Hapoel Tel-Aviv in UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026 - which was a disappointing result as they were the favourites going into that matchup.
In general, the form has been inconsistent for Thomas Reis since his appointment as PFC Ludogorets' manager on 12 July 2026 (W3, D2, L5), but his players are unbeaten in their last 3 outings at home (W2, D1) so they will be confident in Razgrad.
Thomas Reis' team are vertical and direct in their style of play, and they are quick to press and transition on the ball following a loss. The plan for Thursday will be to turn this into a game of transition, as the Bulgarians will attempt to use their forward speed and energy to force the play into wide open spaces.
Hapoel hoping to seal the deal
Across all competitions, Hapoel Tel-Aviv come into this match following a 1-1 draw away to Beitar Jerusalem in Ligat Ha'AL 2025/2026, that result coming off the back of a 2-2 draw before Hapoel won on penalties in the Toto Cup Ligat Al 2026, and the aforementioned 2-0 win over Ludogorets.
Elyaniv Barda's men have won 2 games in a row and that will be a boost to the Israeli's confidence as they head to Bulgaria looking to progress in Europe. They are a more organised outfit, as they play a 4-2-3-1 system where they aim to control the ball in the middle of the pitch and dictate the flow of the game. That can be a strong approach in this game, as if Hapoel can keep the game in a settled state, Ludogorets will struggle to express themselves.
Who will win?
Ludogorets are favourites at 1.81, but we feel the draw or Hapoel at 4.04 is the better bet for this one. Ludogorets are still the more likely winner on paper, but Hapoel have the first blow in the tie and that has to be taken into account. As such, we feel a tight, tactical fixture is more likely than a blowout. Under 2.5 goals at 2.15 is also tempting, while Both Teams To Score at 1.65 is another good alternative.
