2026-2027 Champions League: Levski Sofia vs. Kairat, Probable Lineups

On one side, a team that hasn’t played in the main phase of the Champions League since the 2006-2007 season; on the other, an ambitious club that took part in the group stage of the Champions League for the first time last year: Levski Sofia and Kairat are vying for one of the spots in the Champions League playoffs, with the first leg set to take place in the Bulgarian capital at 7:30 p.m. Italian time at the “Georgi Asparuhov” Arena.

Levski Sofia’s last appearance in what was then the group stage dates back nineteen years: even then, the Bulgarians had to go through the qualifying rounds, first defeating Sioni Bolnisi and then Chievo Verona. The group featuring Barcelona, Chelsea, and Werder Bremen proved too difficult: zero points in six matches in what remains their only appearance in the main phase of the Champions League since the format was revamped to include group stages in 1991–1992.

Kairat, on the other hand, took part in the Champions League group stage last year, overcoming Olimpia Ljubljana, KuPS, Slovan Bratislava, and Celtic in the winding qualifying rounds. The group stage, however, did not bring much success for the Kazakhstani champions, who lost seven of their eight matches: their only historic point came on October 21, 2025, thanks to a 0-0 draw against another first-time participant from last year, Pafos. In between, however, there was a solid performance against Inter: a 2-1 win for the Nerazzurri, with the decisive goal scored by Carlos Augusto.

Probable Lineups

LEVSKI SOFIA (4-3-3): Vutsov; Neves, Dimitrov, Serafimov, Maicon; Bouras, Serginho, Moubarik; Reinaldo, Oko-Flex, Bala. Head Coach: Velasquez.

KAIRAT (4-2-3-1): Anarbekov; Mrynskiy, Africo, Martynovich, Machado; Oksanen, Mendonsa; Jukkola, Kasabulat, Kurgin; Gual. Head Coach: Urazbakhtin.