AEK Athens host Levski Sofia at the OPAP Arena on August 26, 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 19:00 local time. The teams meet in the return leg of their Champions League playoff after a 0-0 draw on August 18 left the contest finely balanced. AEK entered the qualifiers in the final round, while Levski have progressed from the opening stage and are now preparing for their eighth qualifying match. With neither side able to establish an advantage in the first meeting, this decisive fixture begins with everything still to play for.

AEK Athens Recent Form and Key Statistics

AEK Athens approach the second leg after recording an emphatic 4-0 victory over Iraklis Thessaloniki on August 22. That league success gave the Greek champions a positive response following the goalless first leg and provided another competitive match before their return to Champions League action. Their latest five-match record stands at two wins, two draws and one defeat, with averages of 2.0 goals scored and 0.8 conceded per game.

Their Champions League season statistics currently show one draw from one match, with averages of 0.0 goals scored and 0.0 conceded. Those figures come directly from the opening encounter with Levski, in which both teams finished without scoring. Across a broader sequence, AEK have avoided defeat in 32 of their last 34 matches. The information available also shows that they are unbeaten across nine matches inside 90 minutes.

AEK's European record offers further encouragement before this home fixture. They have suffered only one defeat in their last ten European matches and have won eight of them. The objective is to reach the Champions League main draw for the first time since the 2018/19 season, and their recent 4-0 result means they enter this decisive contest after demonstrating much more attacking productivity than they managed in the first leg.

First-half patterns are especially notable in AEK's recent data. At least one team has failed to score before half-time in each of their last 20 home matches, while the same outcome has occurred in 35 of their previous 37 fixtures overall. At the same time, AEK have been ahead at the interval in seven of their last 11 home games. These numbers suggest that the opening period has regularly featured one team being kept off the scoresheet, even when AEK have managed to establish a lead.

Levski Sofia Recent Form and Key Statistics

Levski Sofia also prepared for the second leg with a commanding domestic victory, defeating Spartak Varna 6-0 on August 22. Their last five matches have produced four wins and one draw, with an average of 2.0 goals scored per game and no goals conceded. That sequence gives the Bulgarian champions strong recent results to take into a considerably important away assignment.

Levski remain unbeaten in their last 15 matches, with their most recent competitive defeat coming in May. Their Champions League campaign has delivered four wins and three draws without a loss. Across those matches, they have averaged 1.4 goals scored and only 0.4 conceded, underlining the defensive consistency that has helped them progress from the first qualifying round to this playoff return leg.

The visitors have also been difficult to overcome during the first half. Levski have not been behind at the interval in 27 of their last 28 matches, and they have led at half-time in seven of their previous ten. Those numbers sit alongside AEK's strong first-half home results and create an intriguing early contest between two teams that have repeatedly protected themselves well before the break.

Despite Levski's long unbeaten run, their away results include only four victories from ten matches. They now face an AEK side with eight wins from its last ten European fixtures. Levski are seeking their first appearance in the competition's main draw since the 2010/11 season, while their seven-match unbeaten record in this Champions League campaign means they arrive having successfully handled every qualifying test so far.

AEK Athens vs Levski Sofia Match Analysis

The first leg provides the clearest starting point for this AEK Athens vs Levski Sofia preview. The 0-0 scoreline means neither team carries an aggregate advantage, while both defenses have already shown they can keep the opposing attack quiet. AEK's one Champions League match this season has therefore produced no goals at either end, whereas Levski's seven-match competition record combines an unbeaten run with an average of just 0.4 goals conceded.

Recent domestic performances show that both sides are capable of creating a much more open contest. AEK scored four against Iraklis Thessaloniki, and Levski registered six against Spartak Varna. Each team has also averaged 2.0 goals scored across its last five matches. However, those attacking figures must be assessed alongside the defensive evidence: Levski conceded no goals across their latest five-game sample, while AEK have conceded an average of only 0.8 in the same period.

The available probabilities give AEK Athens a 54% chance of victory, compared with 25% for the draw and 20% for a Levski Sofia win. AEK or draw carries an 80% probability, reflecting the hosts' strong overall and European records. The listed match odds also make AEK the shorter-priced team at 1.50, with the draw at 3.70 and Levski at 6.00. Nevertheless, the visitors' 15-match unbeaten sequence means the home side face opponents who have been consistently difficult to defeat.

The goals markets indicate a close decision rather than an overwhelming trend. Under 2.5 goals is assessed at 54%, while over 2.5 stands at 46%. The Both Teams To Score market gives a 53% probability to No and 47% to Yes. Given the goalless first leg, Levski's five-match run without conceding and the repeated first-half pattern of at least one team not scoring in AEK fixtures, another match in which one side is kept off the scoresheet is the most coherent conclusion.

AEK Athens vs Levski Sofia prediction from BetMines: Both Teams To Score (No) with 53% probability.