UEFA Europa League 26/27 · Round 2 ·
NEC Nijmegen vs PFC Levski Sofia preview: Nijmegen host Levski Sofia with both sides searching for a first win
Nijmegen welcome Levski Sofia to the Goffertstadion with both clubs still looking for their first points of the season. The clearest signal is defensive: Nijmegen conceded five goals in their only match while Levski Sofia let in just one, and the market prices the home side as a moderate favourite despite that.
By 10xSharp · Published
This preview was published before kickoff. The match has finished: see the result and full stats. Read the match report.
Team news
Nijmegen are without defender Perr Schuurs, who is listed as injured. That is the only absence the data records for either side, and it does not remove a leading scorer or creator from the home attack. Levski Sofia have no unavailable players listed, so their squad is unchanged on paper. The absence is a defensive one for the home side, which matters given how badly they conceded in their opening match. Neither team loses a goalscoring threat here.
Recent form
Both sides arrive off a single league defeat, so the form table offers little separation: Nijmegen are 36th and Levski Sofia 25th, each with zero points from one match. The wider recent picture is more useful. Nijmegen are winless in their last six matches, with three draws and three losses, and they have not won in at least four matches at this venue. Levski Sofia have won three of their last six and are unbeaten in four away matches. Nijmegen have had five days since their last match, Levski Sofia just over four.
Season standings
Nijmegen sit 36th with zero points, while Levski Sofia are 25th, also on zero points, after one match each. The home side's only match was away, where they lost 5-0, leaving them with a goal difference of minus five. Levski Sofia's only match was at home, a 1-0 defeat, giving them a goal difference of minus one. Neither side has played at the venue they will occupy in this fixture, so there is no home or away record to compare yet.
Head to head
There is no head-to-head history between these two clubs in the data available. That means no pattern from past meetings can inform this preview. The fixture is a fresh one, and any read has to come from current season numbers and the market rather than from a shared past.
Attack
Both attacks are yet to score this season, so the comparison is starkly even: Nijmegen average 0.0 goals per match and Levski Sofia also average 0.0. Against the league average of 1.31 goals per team, both sides are worse than the league average, and the gap is large for each. There is no attacking edge to be found in the season numbers, and the recent form offers only a whisper: Nijmegen have scored five goals across their last six matches, Levski Sofia seven across the same span.
Defense
Levski Sofia hold the clearer defensive edge, conceding 1.0 goals per match against Nijmegen's 5.0. Against the league average of 1.31, Levski Sofia are better than the league average, though only marginally, while Nijmegen are worse than the league average by a large margin. The home side's recent form deepens the concern: they have conceded 15 goals in their last six matches and have no clean sheets in that run. Levski Sofia have conceded six in their last six and kept three clean sheets.
Efficiency
Nijmegen work the opposing goalkeeper far harder, averaging 5.0 shots on target per match to Levski Sofia's 1.0. The visitors see more of their shots blocked, 3.0 per match against 2.0 for the home side. Nijmegen also average more shots off target, 4.0 to 3.0. Possession is nearly identical, with Levski Sofia at 50% and Nijmegen at 49%. The shot numbers suggest Nijmegen create more pressure, but neither side has converted that into goals yet.
Goal timing
Nijmegen have not scored a goal this season, so there is no scoring peak to report. Their conceding is spread across the match, with one goal in each of the 0-15, 16-30, 31-45, 61-75 and 76-90 minute windows. Levski Sofia have also not scored, and their only goal conceded came in the 31-45 minute window. The sample is one match each, so these patterns are thin and should be read as directional at best.
Goal lines
The season goal environments could hardly be more different. All of Nijmegen's matches this season have gone over 2.5 goals, and all have gone over 3.5 goals, while none of Levski Sofia's matches have gone over 1.5 goals. Both teams have failed to score in every match they have played. The home side's matches have seen goals in both halves, while Levski Sofia's only match produced a single first-half goal. These are one-match samples, so the rates are extreme and should be treated as early signals rather than settled patterns.
Verdict
The market prices Nijmegen as a moderate favourite, but the season numbers point the other way: Levski Sofia have the better defensive record and the better recent away form. Nijmegen's attack has created more shots on target, yet neither side has scored this season. The most likely shape is a low-scoring match, with Levski Sofia's tighter defence giving them a real chance to frustrate the home side. Expect a cautious contest where the first goal, if it comes, could decide everything.