Levski Sofia defeats Universitatea Craiova 1-0 in Champions League qualifier

Levski Sofia secured a 1‑0 victory over Romanian champions Universitatea Craiova in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League second‑qualifying round at Georgi Asparuhov Stadium. The only goal came in the 8th minute when captain Kristian Dimitrov headed in a Serginho cross. Levski dominated early, creating several chances, while Craiova responded with a few opportunities of their own but failed to convert, including a missed chance by Carlos Mora and a disallowed goal by Everton Bala after VAR review.

The match was attended by 17,325 spectators, placing it among the most‑watched fixtures in the early qualifying phase. Coach Julio Velásquez praised his side’s performance and highlighted the crowd as a decisive factor, while Craiova’s manager Filipe Coelho acknowledged the difficulty of breaking down Levski’s defence and took responsibility for the defeat. A return leg is scheduled for 29 July in Craiova, where the Romanian side will need to overturn the deficit to stay in the competition.