CSKA Sofia Advances Past Qarabag in Tense Penalty Shootout
CSKA Sofia 0-0 Qarabag (5-4 on penalties) at the Vasil Levski National Sports Academy in Sofia sends the Bulgarian side through after a tense UEFA Europa League 2nd Qualifying Round tie finished goalless over 120 minutes and was settled from the spot. With no league standings data available for either side, the significance here is purely knockout: CSKA hold their nerve in the shootout to eliminate a Qarabag team that had controlled more of the ball but failed to convert their territorial edge.
Match Report
The game unfolded as a tight, physical contest with discipline and substitutions shaping the rhythm more than clear chances. The first notable flashpoint came on 39', when Bruno Jordão (CSKA Sofia) received a yellow card for tripping, an early sign of how much defensive work the hosts were being forced into.
Soon after the restart, the referee again went to his pocket. On 48', Leandro Godoy (CSKA Sofia) was shown a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct, underlining CSKA’s increasing frustration as they struggled to impose themselves in possession.
Qarabag’s midfield bite was also punished. On 50', Marko Janković (Qarabag) received a yellow card for roughing, followed on 55' by Bence Várkonyi (Qarabag) with another yellow for roughing, as the visitors tried to break up CSKA’s attempts to transition.
The first wave of substitutions arrived on 70', with Qarabag adjusting their attacking structure: Renaldo Cephas replaced Kady Borges (Qarabag), adding fresh legs higher up the pitch. A minute later, on 71', CSKA made a like-for-like midfield change as James Eto'o replaced Bruno Jordão (CSKA Sofia), seeking more energy in central areas.
The newly introduced Eto'o quickly entered the referee’s book. On 74', James Eto'o (CSKA Sofia) was shown a yellow card for roughing after a late challenge, further inflating CSKA’s card count.
Qarabag then made a triple change on 82' to refresh their back line and wide areas. Cebrail Makreckis replaced Bədavi Hüseynov (Qarabag), Bruno Langa replaced Elvin Cafarquliyev (Qarabag), and Jaly Mouaddib replaced Olexiy Kashchuk (Qarabag), signalling a push to maintain intensity and possibly tilt the tie late in normal time.
CSKA responded on 89', with Joël Zwarts replacing Leandro Godoy (CSKA Sofia) to offer a different profile in the forward line for the closing stages of regulation.
Qarabag made one more attacking tweak in stoppage time of the second half. On 90+2', Joni Montiel replaced Abdellah Zoubir (Qarabag), bringing fresh creativity between the lines ahead of extra time.
Extra time began with the disciplinary pattern continuing. On 95', Ángelo Martino (CSKA Sofia) picked up a yellow card for holding as he halted a Qarabag attack down the flank.
CSKA immediately adjusted on that side. On 99', Mohamed Amine Brahimi replaced Ángelo Martino (CSKA Sofia), a change that slightly rebalanced the left side with more attacking thrust from deep.
Qarabag then altered their focal point up front. On 100', Musa Qurbanlı replaced Zakaria Sawo (Qarabag), offering a different presence in the penalty area as both sides searched for a breakthrough that never came.
As fatigue set in, the fouls mounted. On 105+3', Teodor Ivanov (CSKA Sofia) was shown a yellow card for roughing, another defender booked as CSKA continued to absorb pressure. Shortly after the extra-time interval, on 106', Bruno Langa (Qarabag) received a yellow card for roughing, reflecting Qarabag’s own need to halt counters.
The final caution of the night arrived on 112', when Joël Zwarts (CSKA Sofia) picked up a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct, capping a bruising encounter that saw CSKA accumulate the majority of bookings.
With no goals across 120 minutes, the tie moved to a penalty shootout, logged in the 120' phase of play. The sequence began with Qarabag: on 120+1', Marko Janković (Qarabag) converted from the spot (penalty, unassisted). CSKA immediately replied on 120+1', as Ioannis Pittas (CSKA Sofia) scored his penalty (unassisted), keeping the shootout level.
The second round swung towards CSKA. On 120+2', Matheus Silva (Qarabag) missed his penalty (recorded as a missed penalty in the shootout), handing the initiative to the hosts. CSKA capitalised on 120+2', with Teodor Ivanov (CSKA Sofia) scoring his penalty (unassisted) to edge CSKA ahead in the shootout.
Qarabag steadied themselves in the third round. On 120+3', Jaly Mouaddib (Qarabag) converted his penalty (unassisted), but CSKA matched them on 120+3' as Jean-Philippe Gbamin (CSKA Sofia) scored from the spot (unassisted), preserving the Bulgarian side’s advantage.
The fourth round maintained the pattern. On 120+4', Renaldo Cephas (Qarabag) scored his penalty (unassisted), before Stefano Sensi (CSKA Sofia) answered on 120+4' with another successful kick (unassisted), keeping CSKA in front.
The decisive fifth round confirmed CSKA’s progression. On 120+5', Joni Montiel (Qarabag) converted his penalty (unassisted), forcing CSKA to score to win. James Eto'o (CSKA Sofia) duly delivered on 120+5', converting his penalty (unassisted) to complete 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 greater share of possession (58% vs 42%) and higher volume of shots on target (5 vs 3) indicate that they were the more territorially dominant side, circulating the ball and probing more consistently in the final third. Their seven blocked shots against CSKA’s three also suggest that they spent more time in advanced areas, forcing CSKA’s back line into repeated interventions. However, with neither team able to translate these marginal advantages into goals and with expected goals data unavailable, the goalless draw after 120 minutes reflects a contest where CSKA’s low block and aggressive, foul-heavy defending successfully limited the quality of Qarabag’s chances. The shootout then became the decisive phase, where CSKA’s superior composure — converting all five of their attempts — outweighed Qarabag’s slight statistical edge from open play.
Standings Update & Seasonal Impact
As this was a UEFA Europa League 2nd Qualifying Round tie and no league standings data is available for either CSKA Sofia or Qarabag, the primary seasonal impact is binary: progression versus elimination. CSKA advance to the next qualifying round courtesy of a 5-4 penalty shootout win after a 0-0 draw, keeping their European campaign alive and securing valuable continental fixtures later in the summer. Qarabag, despite controlling more of the ball and registering more efforts on target, exit the competition at this stage and will now have to refocus on domestic objectives without the additional platform of Europa League football.
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
This was a defensively resilient display from CSKA Sofia, underpinned by a willingness to foul and disrupt (26 fouls and six yellow cards) to compensate for their lower possession share (42%) and fewer shots on target (3). Their structure in a 4-1-4-1 limited Qarabag to half-chances and blocked efforts (Qarabag had seven shots blocked), and when the game moved beyond 90 minutes, CSKA managed their substitutions effectively to maintain intensity. Qarabag, by contrast, were territorially dominant (58% possession, 5 shots on target) but lacked the incisiveness to convert pressure into clear scoring opportunities, with their attacking reshuffles in the second half and extra time failing to break down CSKA’s compact shape. In the end, the tie was decided by mentality and execution from the spot: CSKA’s flawless five penalties contrasted with Qarabag’s single miss, turning a statistically balanced but goalless contest into a narrow, hard-earned qualification for the Bulgarian side.
