Qarabag vs CSKA Sofia: UEFA Europa League Qualifying Round Match Report

Qarabag 0-0 CSKA Sofia at the Azərsun Arena leaves this UEFA Europa League 2nd Qualifying Round tie finely poised ahead of the return leg. With no goals, no red cards and limited attacking incision from either side, the first chapter of the contest becomes more about game management and squad usage than about a clear favourite emerging.

Match Report

The game’s first major incident came on 35', when CSKA Sofia forward Leandro Godoy was booked: 35' L. Godoy (CSKA Sofia) — yellow card (Holding), signalling the visitors’ willingness to break up Qarabag’s rhythm early.

Just two minutes later, Qarabag’s midfield pivot was cautioned: 37' M. Jankovic (Qarabag) — yellow card (Roughing), underlining the increasing physicality in central areas as both sides struggled to create clear chances before half-time.

Qarabag moved first in terms of structural changes after the break. On 56', they reshaped their left side and midfield: 56' E. Cafarquliyev replaced B. Langa (Qarabag), followed immediately by 56' R. Cephas replaced M. Jankovic (Qarabag), injecting fresh legs and more direct running from wide areas.

The hosts thought they had finally broken through on 59', but technology intervened: 59' Qarabag goal — Kady Borges (unassisted) was ruled out following a VAR review for offside, keeping the score at 0-0 and denying Qarabag a potentially pivotal lead.

CSKA Sofia responded with a double change on 73', looking to refresh both their front line and midfield energy. 73' J. Zwarts replaced L. Godoy (CSKA Sofia), altering the profile of the attack, while 73' I. Solet replaced M. Ebong (CSKA Sofia), adding fresh legs in the middle.

Qarabag countered a minute later with their own double substitution to chase the game. 74' J. Mouaddib replaced O. Kashchuk (Qarabag), and 74' C. Makreckis replaced B. Huseynov (Qarabag), signalling a push for more creativity and tempo from midfield and the back line.

The card count for CSKA Sofia rose again on 77', reinforcing the stop-start nature of the contest: 77' F. Rodriguez (CSKA Sofia) — yellow card (Roughing), as the visitors continued to rely on tactical fouls to disrupt Qarabag’s build-up.

On 78', Qarabag made another attacking-minded switch: 78' J. Montiel replaced A. Zoubir (Qarabag), aiming to find a different type of final ball between the lines in the closing stages.

CSKA Sofia’s final wave of substitutions came late, focused on defensive stability and fresh legs out wide. 84' T. Ouorou replaced A. Martino (CSKA Sofia) shored up the left side, before two stoppage-time changes at 90+1': 90+1' M. Brahimi replaced Pastor (CSKA Sofia) and 90+1' P. Panayotov replaced S. Sensi (CSKA Sofia), both designed to see out the draw rather than gamble for a late winner.

Fixture Statistics & Tactical Audit

• xG: Qarabag — not available vs CSKA Sofia — not available
• Possession: Qarabag — not available vs CSKA Sofia — not available
• Shots on Target: Qarabag — not available vs CSKA Sofia — not available
• Goalkeeper Saves: Qarabag — not available vs CSKA Sofia — not available

With no recorded figures for xG, possession or shots, the contest must be judged primarily on its rhythm and disciplinary profile. The disallowed goal for Kady Borges on 59' was the game’s decisive attacking flashpoint, but CSKA Sofia’s three yellow cards to Qarabag’s one underline a strategy built around compactness and tactical fouling rather than expansive play. Qarabag, by contrast, used their substitutions aggressively to chase territory and control, yet lacked the final action to turn pressure into a legitimate, onside breakthrough.

Standings Update & Seasonal Impact

With no group-stage standings data attached to this qualifying round tie, the immediate impact is binary: the 0-0 leaves both Qarabag and CSKA Sofia level going into the second leg, with progression to the next Europa League qualifying round entirely dependent on what happens in Sofia. Qarabag will feel they missed an opportunity to take a lead from their home leg, while CSKA Sofia can be satisfied with a clean sheet away from home that preserves their chances.

Lineups & Personnel

Qarabag Starting XI

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

CSKA Sofia Starting XI

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

Post-Match Verdict

This was a cautious, attritional first leg rather than a clinical attacking display from either side, reflected in the absence of any recorded shots or xG data and the final 0-0 scoreline. Qarabag were more proactive in their use of the bench, cycling through five substitutions to alter their attacking structure and eventually seeing Kady Borges find the net only for VAR to intervene. CSKA Sofia’s approach was more conservative, evidenced by three yellow cards for holding and roughing fouls as they prioritised defensive solidity and game disruption over risk-taking. The result is a stalemate that slightly favours CSKA Sofia, who take a clean sheet and home advantage into the second leg, while Qarabag must now find more cutting edge in Sofia to avoid seeing their Europa League campaign end at this qualifying hurdle.