CSKA Sofia vs Qarabag: Penalty Shootout Victory in UEFA Europa League

CSKA Sofia 0-0 Qarabag (5-4 on penalties) at Vasil Levski National Sports Academy in Sofia ended goalless over 120 tense minutes before the Bulgarians held their nerve from the spot to edge through in the UEFA Europa League 2nd Qualifying Round. With no league standings context attached to this tie, the significance is purely knockout: CSKA advance after a disciplined but often frantic defensive display, while Qarabag exit despite controlling territory and chance volume.

Match Report

The first half was tight and physical, with CSKA Sofia willing to concede territory to Qarabag and focus on compactness. The first major disciplinary note arrived on 39', when Bruno Jordão (CSKA Sofia) received a yellow card for tripping, underlining the home side’s readiness to break up Qarabag’s midfield combinations.

Shortly after the restart on 48', Leandro Godoy (CSKA Sofia) was booked for unsportsmanlike conduct, further tilting the card count towards the hosts and reflecting the growing tension as Qarabag pushed higher. Two minutes later, on 50', Marko Janković (Qarabag) collected a yellow card for roughing, a sign that the visitors were also being drawn into the physical battle. On 55', Bence Várkonyi (Qarabag) was cautioned for roughing, Qarabag’s second booking in quick succession as CSKA looked to spring counters.

The first wave of substitutions began on 70', when Renaldo Cephas replaced Kady Borges for Qarabag, adding fresh legs in the attacking line. On 71', James Eto'o came on for Bruno Jordão (CSKA Sofia), a like-for-like midfield change designed to restore energy in the central block. Eto'o’s impact was immediate in the wrong way: on 74', he was shown a yellow card for roughing after an aggressive challenge, emblematic of CSKA’s increasingly combative approach.

Qarabag made a triple change on 82' to tilt the game further in their favour: Cebrail Makreckis replaced Bədavi Hüseynov, Bruno Langa came on for Elvin Cafarquliyev, and Jaly Mouaddib replaced Olexiy Kashchuk. The visitors refreshed both their back line and midfield, looking to sustain pressure and exploit tiring CSKA legs.

CSKA responded on 89', with Joël Zwarts replacing Leandro Godoy in attack, seeking a more direct outlet as the game headed towards extra time. Qarabag made another offensive-minded adjustment at 90+2', when Joni Montiel came on for Abdellah Zoubir, adding another creative profile between the lines just before the end of normal time.

Extra time opened with more disciplinary trouble for the hosts. On 95', Ángelo Martino (CSKA Sofia) was booked for holding as he tried to halt a Qarabag break down the flank. Four minutes later, on 99', Martino was replaced by Mohamed Amine Brahimi, a substitution that refreshed CSKA’s left side after a taxing evening of defensive work.

Qarabag made their final attacking change on 100', with Musa Qurbanlı replacing Zakaria Sawo up front, signalling a last push for a winner. The fouls continued to mount: at 105+3', Teodor Ivanov (CSKA Sofia) received a yellow card for roughing, another indicator of the strain Qarabag’s pressure was placing on the home defence. On 106', Bruno Langa (Qarabag) was also booked for roughing, as extra time became increasingly scrappy. The final caution of the night came on 112', when Joël Zwarts (CSKA Sofia) was shown a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct, capping a card-heavy contest.

With neither side able to break through in open play or extra time, the tie was decided by a penalty shootout at 120'. The sequence unfolded as follows:

On 120+1', Marko Janković scored from the spot for Qarabag (penalty, unassisted), before Ioannis Pittas converted his penalty for CSKA Sofia (120+1', penalty, unassisted) to level the shootout. The first turning point came on 120+2', when Matheus Silva (Qarabag) missed his penalty, handing CSKA the initiative. Teodor Ivanov stepped up immediately afterwards on 120+2' and scored his penalty for CSKA Sofia (penalty, unassisted), putting the hosts ahead in the shootout.

The pressure then shifted back to Qarabag. On 120+3', Jaly Mouaddib converted his penalty (Qarabag, penalty, unassisted), but Jean-Philippe Gbamin responded on 120+3' by scoring his own penalty for CSKA Sofia (penalty, unassisted), maintaining the home advantage. On 120+4', Renaldo Cephas kept Qarabag alive with a successful penalty (unassisted), yet Stefano Sensi answered immediately on 120+4' with a composed conversion for CSKA Sofia (penalty, unassisted).

At 120+5', Joni Montiel scored Qarabag’s next penalty (penalty, unassisted), leaving CSKA with a chance to win it. James Eto'o, who had earlier been booked, completed his redemption arc on 120+5' by scoring the decisive penalty for CSKA Sofia (penalty, unassisted), sealing a 5-4 shootout victory after a 0-0 draw over 120 minutes.

Fixture Statistics & Tactical Audit

• xG: not available vs not available
• Possession: 42% vs 58%
• Shots on Target: 3 vs 5
• Goalkeeper Saves: not available vs not available
• Blocked Shots: 3 vs 7

Qarabag’s territorial dominance (58% possession) and greater volume of shots on target (5 vs 3) underline that they were the more proactive side, circulating the ball and forcing CSKA Sofia to defend deep for long spells. CSKA, by contrast, accepted a reactive role, focusing on a compact block and aggressive duels, which is reflected in their higher foul count and six yellow cards. The blocked-shot numbers (Qarabag 7 vs CSKA 3) further highlight how often Qarabag were able to work shooting positions, only to be crowded out by last-ditch defending. With xG data unavailable, we cannot quantify chance quality precisely, but the distribution of possession and shots suggests Qarabag had the more sustained attacking platforms, while CSKA’s game plan hinged on resilience, disruption, and surviving to the lottery of penalties—a strategy that ultimately succeeded.

Standings Update & Seasonal Impact

With no league standings data provided for either CSKA Sofia or Qarabag, the impact of this result is best understood in knockout terms. CSKA Sofia progress from the UEFA Europa League 2nd Qualifying Round after a goalless draw and a 5-4 success in the penalty shootout, keeping their European campaign alive and securing valuable continental fixtures later in the summer. Qarabag, despite controlling large stretches of the match, are eliminated at this stage and will now have to refocus on domestic and any remaining continental objectives outside this competition.

Lineups & Personnel

CSKA Sofia Starting XI

• GK: Fedor Lapoukhov
• DF: Pastor, Teodor Ivanov, Facundo Rodríguez, Ángelo Martino, Jean-Philippe Gbamin
• MF: Max Ebong, Stefano Sensi, Bruno Jordão
• FW: Ioannis Pittas, Leandro Godoy

Qarabag Starting XI

• GK: Mateusz Kochalski
• DF: Matheus Silva, Bədavi Hüseynov, Bence Várkonyi, Elvin Cafarquliyev
• MF: Pedro Bicalho, Marko Janković, Olexiy Kashchuk, Kady Borges, Abdellah Zoubir
• FW: Zakaria Sawo

Post-Match Verdict

CSKA Sofia delivered a rugged, defence-first performance, repeatedly sacrificing possession (42%) and territory to maintain a compact structure and rely on physical duels (26 fouls, six yellow cards). Their approach was far from expansive but ultimately effective, as they limited Qarabag to five shots on target and threw bodies in front of efforts (three blocked shots) before showing composure from the spot, converting all five penalties in the shootout.

Qarabag were the more dominant side in open play (58% possession, more shots on target and seven blocked efforts), but their inability to convert territorial control into a breakthrough exposed a lack of cutting edge in the final third. Despite smart in-game management—six substitutions to refresh both defence and attack—they could not translate pressure into goals and were punished in the shootout, where one missed penalty by Matheus Silva proved decisive. In tactical terms, CSKA’s conservative, attritional plan prevailed over Qarabag’s more expansive, ball-dominant approach because the hosts executed their defensive tasks with discipline and maximised their advantage in the high-variance environment of penalties.