CSKA 1948 vs Panathinaikos

CSKA 1948 host Panathinaikos in the second leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round tie on Tuesday, 11 August 2026, at their usual Stadion Vitosha home in Bistrica. The Bulgarian side return to their compact 2,500‑capacity ground with the tie still in the balance after the first leg in Athens a week earlier.

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Panathinaikos are set to field a strong side, with Dutch international Stefan de Vrij anchoring the defence after his free transfer from Inter Milan. Former Barcelona goalkeeper Iñaki Peña will start between the posts, while ex‑Manchester United wide man Facundo Pellistri is likely to settle for a place on the bench. Adam Gnezda Čerin and Willian Arão are expected to control central midfield.

CSKA 1948 receive a boost with defender Andre Hoffmann available despite a domestic red card against Arda at the weekend. The focus in attack will be on Mamadou Diallo, who scored twice in Saturday’s First League win and has been CSKA’s match‑winner in recent weeks. Moataz Zemzemi and Hector Cuellar are set to partner in midfield, offering energy and creativity.

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Panathinaikos have struggled for consistency over the past six months. The Greek club have not managed back‑to‑back victories since March and have failed to win a competitive match at their own stadium since 12 March 2026. Last season they registered only one win from their final nine appearances across all competitions.

CSKA 1948 come into this second leg on the back of a morale‑boosting domestic victory, but they have found goals hard to come by on the road in Europe. The Bulgarians have scored just once in their last three competitive away fixtures, making home advantage critical if they are to overturn the first‑leg deficit.

Key Battle: Mamadou Diallo vs Stefan de Vrij

The tie could be decided by the duel between CSKA’s in‑form striker Mamadou Diallo and Panathinaikos’ experienced centre‑back Stefan de Vrij. Diallo’s two‑goal haul at the weekend underlined his sharpness in front of goal, while de Vrij brings top‑level pedigree and organisational skills to the Greek backline. If Diallo can find space inside the box, the Bulgarians will believe they can turn the tie around.

Panathinaikos, meanwhile, will look to Tetê and Fotis Ioannidis to exploit gaps on the counter‑attack as CSKA commit men forward.

The winners of this tie will advance to the play‑off round of the Europa Conference League, with the draw already awaiting the eight third‑round victors.