UEFA Champions League Qualifying Round 2

Universitatea Craiova 2 - 2 FT Levski Sofia

Stadionul Ion Oblemenco

Match previews and recaps to help you decide which games are worth watching

Futmetrix Verdict
67
FT
Wed, Jul 29
Universitatea Craiova
2-2
Levski Sofia
⚑ Intensity 54
βš–οΈ Balance 66
πŸ† Stakes 33
🎲 Upset 56
Craiova snatch draw from two down.

Win Probability

  • Universitatea Craiova 50%
  • Draw 27%
  • Levski Sofia 23%

Futmetrix AI estimate

Craiova's Roaring Comeback Denies Levski Early Advantage

Worth Watching Futmetrix Score: 67/100. A thunderous fightback under the lights leaves this Champions League qualifier delicately balanced ahead of a winner-takes-all second leg.

A Blistering Bulgarian Start

The Levski Sofia attackers came out of the gates with ferocious intent, stunning the passionate crowd at Stadionul Ion Oblemenco inside a frantic opening quarter of an hour. The Stakes were monumental for this early Champions League qualifier, yet the visiting side looked entirely unfazed by the hostile environment. Everton Bala drew first blood in the 13th minute, expertly finishing off a precise attacking sequence engineered by Serginho. Before the Romanian hosts could even catch their breath or regroup defensively, the Bulgarian outfit doubled their sudden advantage. Merely three minutes later, Everton Bala turned provider, sliding a perfect pass to A. Neves who ruthlessly made it 2-0. The blistering Intensity of Levski's transition play left the home defence chasing shadows during those chaotic opening exchanges.

The Crucial Halftime Lifeline

Despite the early two-goal deficit, Universitatea Craiova kept their composure and edged possession with 55% of the ball. However, they desperately needed a tangible spark to transform their territorial advantage into a genuine offensive threat. The defining turning point of the evening arrived at the most critical juncture possible: deep into first-half stoppage time. With only seconds remaining before the interval, D. Matei finally unlocked the rigid visiting defensive line, feeding N. Bancu who delivered a clinical strike to halve the deficit. That crucial 45th-minute lifeline completely shifted the Balance of the entire qualifying tie. The psychological momentum swung violently, transforming what initially appeared to be a comfortable away clinic into the beginnings of a desperate Bulgarian rearguard action.

The Second-Half Siege

Fuelled by that late lifeline, the hosts emerged from the tunnel completely revitalised for the second half. It took just three minutes for the pressure to tell, as A. Rus capitalised on early disorganisation to thunder home the equaliser at 2-2 in the 48th minute. Craiova maintained relentless set-piece pressure for the remainder of the contest, piling up an impressive 9 corners and repeatedly testing the Bulgarian resolve. Even with 129 total attacks and 9 shots, the home side could not quite land the final knockout blow to complete a total turnaround. Levski dug deep to protect parity, surviving the relentless siege thanks to their earlier clinical efficiency. The dust settles on a pulsating draw, teeing up a massive second-leg showdown.

Key Questions

How did Universitatea Craiova complete the comeback from behind?

Craiova struck at pivotal moments, with N. Bancu scoring in first-half stoppage time before A. Rus powered home the equaliser just three minutes after the break.

What is the Futmetrix Score?

The Futmetrix Score is our 0-100 verdict on how entertaining a match is. We look at intensity, balance, stakes, and star quality to tell you if it's worth your time.

Match Statistics

Possession
55%
45%
Universitatea Craiova 55%
Levski Sofia 45%
Shots
9
7
Universitatea Craiova 9
Levski Sofia 7
Shots on Target
3
5
Universitatea Craiova 3
Levski Sofia 5
Corners
9
4
Universitatea Craiova 9
Levski Sofia 4
Yellow Cards
2
4
Universitatea Craiova 2
Levski Sofia 4
Red Cards
0
0
Universitatea Craiova 0
Levski Sofia 0

Match Events

Nikola Serafimov 🟨 9'
Everton Bala (Serginho) ⚽ 13'
Aldair (Everton Bala) ⚽ 16'
Aldair 🟨 26'
33' 🟨 Ștefan Baiaram
45'+2 ⚽ NicuΘ™or Bancu (David Matei)
Maicon 🟨 45'+3
HT
↓ Aldair ↑Álex Centelles πŸ”„ 46'
↓ Nikola Serafimov ↑Christian Makoun πŸ”„ 46'
48' ⚽ Adrian Rus
Akram Bouras 🟨 55'
↓ Armstrong Oko-Flex ↑Mazire Soula πŸ”„ 55'
59' πŸ”„ ↓ Ștefan Baiaram ↑Monday Etim
59' πŸ”„ ↓ Carlos Mora ↑Samuel Teles
67' πŸ”„ ↓ Nikola StevanoviΔ‡ ↑Tudor BΔƒluΘ›Δƒ
77' πŸ”„ ↓ David Matei ↑Heriberto Tavares
↓ Everton Bala ↑GaΕ‘per Trdin πŸ”„ 77'
77' πŸ”„ ↓ Anzor Mekvabishvili ↑Simon Elisor
↓ Reinaldo ↑Juan Perea πŸ”„ 87'
88' 🟨 Adrian Rus
FT

Player Cards

Our take on every player in this match

Universitatea Craiova

Goalkeepers
LaurenΕ£iu Popescu
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Defenders
Adrian Rus
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Nikola Stevanović
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Vladimir Screciu
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Midfielders
Carlos Mora
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Anzor Mekvabishvili
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Alexandru CicÒldău
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
NicuΘ™or Bancu
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
David Matei
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Forwards
Steven Nsimba
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Ștefan Baiaram
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
BENCH
Alexandru Maxim
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Răzvan Sava
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Juraj Badelj
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Samuel Teles
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Tudor Băluță
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Alexandru CreΘ›u
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Mihnea Rădulescu
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Luca Băsceanu
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Denys Muntean
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Monday Etim
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Heriberto Tavares
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Simon Elisor
👻 Invisible Nothing to note

Levski Sofia

Goalkeepers
Svetoslav Vutsov
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Defenders
Aldair
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Kristian Dimitrov
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Nikola Serafimov
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Maicon
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Midfielders
Akram Bouras
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
El Mehdi Moubarik
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Serginho
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Armstrong Oko-Flex
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Everton Bala
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Forwards
Reinaldo
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
BENCH
Ognyan Vladimirov
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Martin Lukov
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Christian Makoun
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Álex Centelles
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Mazire Soula
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
GaΕ‘per Trdin
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Asen Ivanov Mitkov
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
David Kusso
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Adrian Raychev
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Juan Perea
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Mustapha SangarΓ©
👻 Invisible Nothing to note
Steven Stoyanchov
👻 Invisible Nothing to note

Head to Head

Date Home Score Away Competition Venue
07/22/2026 Levski Sofia 1 - 0 Universitatea Craiova UEFA Champions League Vivacom Arena Georgi Asparuhov
07/22/2026
UEFA Champions League Vivacom Arena Georgi Asparuhov
Universitatea Craiova Win
Levski Sofia Win
Draw