- Maccabi Tel-Aviv are the hot favourite here at 31/50, with PFC CSKA Sofia 9/2 and the draw 53/20.
- Under 2.5 goals at 49/50 and BTTS No at 49/50 are the most likely outcomes in this clash of styles.
Maccabi are the top dogs
CSKA Sofia arrive for Thursday's UEFA Europa League Qualification 2026 second round second-leg, having won their last two matches, but the hosts are the clear favourites at 31/50.
Israel's Maccabi come into the game on a run of four wins and one draw in their last five games, while Bulgaria's PFC CSKA Sofia are unbeaten in their last five, picking up three wins and two draws.
The most recent of Maccabi's last 2 in the UEFA Europa League Qualification 2026 were a 5-0 hammering of FC Sheriff Tiraspol away from home and a 1-0 win over the same opposition at home, so they do have knockout pedigree.
Cagey clash of opposites
Kenny Miller has Maccabi playing in a way that suits them best - positive football where the wide defenders drive the width and the midfielders buzz through the thirds to play some exciting football. Sayed Abu Farkhi is their most dangerous player, having scored 4 of Maccabi's last 12 goals in their last 5 games, but they have enough of a goal threat to be dangerous.
Hristo Yanev has created a flexible, risk-taking team out of CSKA, who can play narrow to overload and press in tight areas, but also move wide to create space in transition. They can press high and strike fast in transition if they can break Maccabi's first press, but if they can't, they're likely to get pinned back.
CSKA's away record in all competitions is 1 win, 2 draws and 1 defeat from 4 matches, with just 2 goals conceded on average (0.50 per match). Joel Zwarts is a clinical finisher for them, having bagged 2 of their 4 goals in their last 5, so he's their most likely man to score if they can create opportunities on Thursday.
Sticking with the hosts
Maccabi's form and the odds point to a home win here, but CSKA's unbeaten run suggests this should be a real scrap. The best way to play it is to look for the home win in a low-scoring game, with Under 2.5 goals and BTTS No the obvious way to approach the goal markets.
Maccabi's home record in all competitions is 2 wins and 1 defeat from 3, scoring 8 goals at 2.67 per game, while CSKA have conceded just 2 goals in their last 4 on the road at 0.50 per, so we're backing a home result with a clean sheet as the best play in these odds.
CSKA's most recent results were a 3-2 win at home to PFC Botev Plovdiv 1912 in Parva Liga 2026/2027 and a 1-0 victory at home to FK Qarabag in UEFA Europa League Qualification 2026. Maccabi are on a streak of 4 straight wins in all competitions and have won 6, drawn 2 and lost 2 of their last 10 in all comps.
