A Czech test for Levski on the road to their first European win
Levski visit Viktoria Plzeň in the third round of the Europa League league phase, aiming for their first win in the competition. The Blues have one point from two games, while the Czechs are still pointless but dangerous on home soil.
Levski are still looking for their first victory in this season’s Europa League, and their next chance comes in the Czech Republic. Julio Velázquez’s side visit Viktoria Plzeň at the Doosan Arena, with kick-off at 22:00 and Spanish referee Alejandro Hernández in charge.
The Sofia club opened their campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Salzburg but took a point in a 1-1 draw at NEC in the Netherlands on matchday two. Their domestic form remains solid, with their last outing a 2-0 Bulgarian Cup win over Spartak Pleven. Velázquez expects a different kind of test from the trip to Nijmegen. He said Levski will need to show character and good organization against a team that plays direct football and fights for every second ball.
Viktoria are also without a win in the league phase, but unlike Levski they haven’t picked up a point yet. The Czechs lost 3-0 at home to Royale Union SG and 2-1 away at Ferencváros. In front of their own fans, however, they have already shown what they can do: in the play-off they overturned a 3-0 deficit against Red Star Belgrade, winning the return leg 5-1 after extra time. In the league, Viktoria come into the game after a 3-2 win at Jablonec, where they led by three goals before conceding twice.
Home coach Radoslav Kováč announced he will make changes to his lineup due to the busy schedule, and singled out the speed and individual quality of Levski’s attacking players.
It will be the first meeting between the two clubs in European competition. The Blues have good memories of facing Czech opposition: in 2003, they knocked out Slavia Prague in the UEFA Cup.
Levski Sofia
Bulgaria
Dunav RusevsLevski Sofia·Oct 31, 2026, 2:30 PM
Challenge Zone
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