- Ludogorets have won two, drawn two and lost one of their last five games in all competitions.
- Nice have won three, drawn one and lost only one of their last five, losing only one of their last three on the road.
Pep’s boys can play
PFC Ludogorets Razgrad are just edging Nice in 25th place with 7 points from 7 games to their opponents’ 3 from 33rd position, but both teams are still in contention for a play-off place in the Europa League 2025-2026.
Per-Mathias Hoegmo took charge of the Bulgarian side in November 2025 and set about implementing a more direct, high-tempo pressing style, using their 4-3-3 formation to be direct in attack and press furiously in defence.
Ludogorets are a team with many talented players, who can execute a high tempo pressing plan in the right manner, or be their own worst enemy with bad habits. Hoegmo’s side held PAOK to a 3-3 draw in Razgrad, then thumped Beroe Stara Zagora 4-0 away in the Parva liga before falling 1-0 to Rangers in Europe just five days ago.
Claude’s Nice in rude health
Claude Puel has been at Nice since December 2025 and has created a system that emphasizes compactness and structured transitions. The system allows Puel to select his best players and play to his own game.
Nice recovered well from a 5-1 drubbing in Ligue 1 at Toulouse to beat Go Ahead Eagles 3-1 at home in the Europa League, and then hammered Nantes 4-1 away from home last time out in the French top flight.
Midfield battle will determine result
Puel has the midfield pivot that is essential to controlling the tempo of the game and transitioning quickly from defence to attack, while Ludogorets will look to their midfielders to get the ball up the pitch and play off their talisman Petar Stanic, who has 6 goals in 7 Europa League appearances this season.
Ludogorets are the clear favourites at 1.9 here, with Nice coming in as outsiders at 3.7, but Both Teams to Score is being quoted at an incredibly low 1.62 in this fixture.
Nice can’t seem to contain teams on the counter and both sides have conceded 2.33 goals per game in the Europa League this term. That stat, along with the directness of Ludogorets’ playing style and Nice’s recent resurgence, suggest that this will be a goal fest.
Home advantage should see Ludogorets through this clash, but don’t be surprised if Nice nick a goal to keep it close, as Kevin Carlos has 2 Europa League goals in 7 appearances and is the club’s most dangerous player in transition.
