Champions League qualifying play-off first leg: Levski Sofia vs AEK Athens facts

Levski Sofia and AEK Athens are both aiming to end a long absence from the UEFA Champions League proper as they meet in Bulgaria for the first leg of their qualifying play-off.

Previous meetings

This is the teams' first meeting and only the second Champions League tie between clubs from Bulgaria and Greece, Ludogorets beating Olympiacos on penalties in the 2021/22 third qualifying round.

Levski have won three of their six games against Greek opponents (D1 L2) – all at home. Most recently they defeated PAOK 3-1 on aggregate in the 2022/23 UEFA Conference League second qualifying round (2-0 h, 1-1 a).

That made it two aggregate victories in Levski's three two-legged ties against teams from Greece.

Levski have scored six goals in winning their three home games versus Greek clubs, conceding only one.

AEK's only previous meetings with a Bulgarian side came in the 2001/02 UEFA Cup third round, when they beat Litex Lovech 4-3 on aggregate (3-2 h, 1-1 a).

Form guide

Levski Sofia

Levski have appeared in the group stage/league phase of the Champions League once, in 2006/07, reaching that stage by beating Chievo Verona 4-2 on aggregate in the third qualifying round.

Bulgarian clubs have featured in the Champions League proper on three occasions, most recently Ludogorets in 2016/17.

Levski have lost six times in Champions League qualifying, most recently in 2009/10, when they went down 1-4 on aggregate to Debrecen (1-2 h, 0-2 a) in their sole previous qualifying play-off.

AEK Athens

AEK are aiming to reach the Champions League proper for the sixth time, and the first since 2018/19, when they defeated Hungary’s Fehérvár 3-2 on aggregate in the play-off round (2-1 a, 1-1 h).

A 1-3 aggregate defeat by Antwerp in 2023/24 (0-1 a, 1-2 h) made AEK's record at this stage W1 L1.

The Athens club have come through qualifying to reach the Champions League on five occasions – most recently in 2018/19 – losing a further four times.

Links and trivia

Levski started this season in the first qualifying round, beating Borac of Bosnia and Herzegovina 5-1 on aggregate (1-1 a, 4-0 h) before overcoming Romania's Universitatea Craiova 3-2 (1-0 h, 2-2 a) and Kairat of Kazakhstan 2-0 (1-0 h, 1-0 a).

The Bulgarian side are therefore unbeaten in their six Champions League games this season, winning four.

Levski have kept four clean sheets in their last five Champions League matches, opening the scoring in all five.

The Sofia side have lost the home leg in only one of their last ten European ties (W6 D3), winning all three this season without conceding.

Levski have not reached the group stage/league phase of any UEFA competition since finishing fourth in their section in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League. In 2025/26, they were eliminated by Braga in the second qualifying round of the same competition, subsequently losing 1-6 on aggregate to AZ Alkmaar in the Conference League qualifying play-offs.

AEK have lost only three of their last 17 European matches (W10 D4). This is their first fixture of 2025/26.

The Greek club were Conference League quarter-finalists in 2025/26, losing 3-4 on aggregate to eventual runners-up Rayo Vallecano.

Only one of AEK's last 54 European games has finished goalless.