CSKA Sofia Advances Past Qarabag in Penalty Shootout

CSKA Sofia 0-0 Qarabag (5-4 on penalties) at the Vasil Levski National Sports Academy in Sofia ended goalless over 120 minutes before the Bulgarians held their nerve from the spot to advance in the UEFA Europa League 2nd Qualifying Round. With no league standings context available, the significance here is purely knockout: CSKA convert home advantage into progression after a tense, attritional tie decided by a single missed kick in the shootout.

Match Report

The first half was tight and physical, with CSKA Sofia committing to aggressive challenges to disrupt Qarabag’s possession game. The tone was set in the 39th minute when Bruno Jordão (CSKA Sofia) received a yellow card for tripping, underlining the home side’s willingness to break up play rather than allow Qarabag to settle in midfield.

Just after the interval, the pattern continued. In the 48th minute, Leandro Godoy (CSKA Sofia) was shown a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct, reflecting rising tension as chances remained scarce. Qarabag’s midfield responded in kind: at 50', Marko Janković (Qarabag) picked up a yellow card for roughing, followed five minutes later, at 55', by another yellow for Bence Várkonyi (Qarabag) for roughing, as the visitors tried to match CSKA’s physical edge.

The first significant reshuffle came on 70 minutes, when Renaldo Cephas replaced Kady Borges (Qarabag), adding fresh legs and more direct running in the attacking third. CSKA reacted almost immediately: in the 71st minute, James Eto’o replaced Bruno Jordão (CSKA Sofia), a like-for-like midfield change aimed at maintaining intensity off the ball.

That substitution had an immediate disciplinary echo. In the 74th minute, James Eto’o (CSKA Sofia) was booked for roughing, another example of CSKA accepting yellow cards as the cost of disrupting Qarabag’s build-up.

Qarabag then executed a triple change at 82'. Cebrail Makreckis replaced Bədavi Hüseynov, Bruno Langa came on for Elvin Cafarquliyev, and Jaly Mouaddib replaced Olexiy Kashchuk (all Qarabag), signalling a full refresh of the defensive line and right flank to push for a late winner without sacrificing structural balance.

CSKA made their second change at 89', when Joël Zwarts replaced Leandro Godoy (CSKA Sofia), introducing a new forward profile to stretch Qarabag’s back line in the closing stages of normal time.

Qarabag’s final change in regulation time came in added time: at 90+2', Joni Montiel replaced Abdellah Zoubir (Qarabag), injecting creativity between the lines ahead of extra time.

Extra time began with the disciplinary trend continuing. In the 95th minute, Ángelo Martino (CSKA Sofia) received a yellow card for holding, as CSKA increasingly relied on tactical fouls to halt transitions. Four minutes later, at 99', Mohamed Amine Brahimi replaced Ángelo Martino (CSKA Sofia), a substitution that removed a booked defender and added fresh energy on the flank.

On 100 minutes, Qarabag made their sixth substitution, with Musa Qurbanlı replacing Zakaria Sawo (Qarabag) up front, seeking a more penalty-box-oriented presence for the final stretch.

Right at the end of the first period of extra time, at 105+3', Teodor Ivanov (CSKA Sofia) was cautioned for roughing, another yellow that encapsulated CSKA’s combative defensive approach. Qarabag’s Bruno Langa (already on as a substitute) then joined the list of booked players in the 106th minute with a yellow card for roughing, as extra time turned increasingly scrappy.

In the 112th minute, Joël Zwarts (CSKA Sofia) was shown a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct, the sixth booking for the hosts, underscoring how much they had invested physically to drag the tie to penalties.

After 120 goalless minutes, the match moved to a penalty shootout. The sequence unfolded as follows:

At 120+1', Qarabag struck first: Marko Janković (Qarabag) converted from the spot (penalty shootout, unassisted). Moments later at 120+1', Ioannis Pittas (CSKA Sofia) responded with a successful penalty (CSKA Sofia, penalty shootout, unassisted), keeping the scores level in the shootout.

The decisive twist arrived at 120+2'. Matheus Silva (Qarabag) missed his penalty (penalty shootout, unassisted), handing CSKA the initiative. Teodor Ivanov (CSKA Sofia) capitalised immediately at 120+2' with a composed conversion (penalty shootout, unassisted), swinging momentum firmly towards the hosts.

The third round at 120+3' saw Jaly Mouaddib (Qarabag) score his penalty (penalty shootout, unassisted), but Jean-Philippe Gbamin (CSKA Sofia) answered in kind at 120+3' (penalty shootout, unassisted), maintaining CSKA’s edge.

In the fourth round at 120+4', Renaldo Cephas (Qarabag) converted (penalty shootout, unassisted), followed by Stefano Sensi (CSKA Sofia) calmly scoring at 120+4' (penalty shootout, unassisted) to keep CSKA in front.

The fifth round confirmed CSKA’s progression. At 120+5', Joni Montiel (Qarabag) scored his penalty (penalty shootout, unassisted), but James Eto’o (CSKA Sofia) stepped up at 120+5' and converted (penalty shootout, unassisted), sealing a 5-4 shootout win for CSKA Sofia 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

With Qarabag enjoying the majority of possession (58% to CSKA’s 42%) and registering more shots on target (5 vs 3), the visitors carried a marginal territorial and attacking edge, while CSKA focused on compact defending and selective counters. The high number of blocked shots for Qarabag (7) highlights how often CSKA’s back line and midfield dropped deep to crowd the box and get bodies in front of attempts, effectively reducing shot quality even when they could not prevent efforts altogether. Conversely, CSKA’s 3 blocked shots underline a more conservative attacking output, consistent with a game plan built around containment first. In the absence of xG and saves data, the balance of chances appears slightly in Qarabag’s favour, but CSKA’s ability to limit clear sights of goal and then execute flawlessly in the shootout makes the final outcome defensible from a tactical standpoint.

Standings Update & Seasonal Impact

With no league standings data provided for either CSKA Sofia or Qarabag, the impact of this result is framed entirely within the UEFA Europa League 2nd Qualifying Round context. CSKA’s progression via a 5-4 penalty shootout win after a 0-0 draw keeps their European campaign alive and extends their season on the continental front, while Qarabag exit the competition despite having more of the ball and more efforts on target on the night.

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 resilient, defence-first performance, repeatedly resorting to tactical fouls (26 total fouls and 6 yellow cards) to disrupt Qarabag’s rhythm and protect their own penalty area. Their low shot volume and possession share (42% possession, 3 shots on target) underline a pragmatic approach that prioritised staying in the tie and trusting in set moments, particularly the penalty shootout. Qarabag, meanwhile, were more dominant in general play (58% possession, 5 shots on target, 10 corners) and more assertive in their attacking structure, but their reliance on volume rather than high-quality chances was evident in the high number of blocked shots (7), as CSKA successfully packed the defensive third. Ultimately, it was CSKA’s disciplined low block and flawless execution from the spot (5 converted penalties from 5 in the shootout) that proved decisive, while Qarabag’s inability to convert territorial control into a goal over 120 minutes — capped by one missed penalty in the shootout — turned a statistically favourable performance into an early European exit.