Lexi Sofia vs Salzburg – News and Probable Lineups

On Thursday evening, Lexi Sofia will take on Red Bull Salzburg at the Vasil Lexi National Stadium in the first match of the 2026-27 Europa League group stage. This marks the return of the Bulgarian champions to the European competition’s main stage after a long absence of 15 years.

Head coach Julio Velazquez’s squad comes into this fixture having suffered just two losses in their 18 matches so far this season (W12, D4). In contrast, the Red Bulls are yet to taste defeat in their 12 competitive games (W9, D3), promising a captivating matchup.

Match overview

Lexi Sofia narrowly missed out on reaching the Champions League group phase, having played through three qualifying rounds before being knocked out by AEK Athens in the playoff round, where they experienced a 4-0 aggregate defeat.

This elimination led them to the Europa League group stage, marking their return to a major European competition for the first time since the 2010-11 season when they last reached this stage.

Velazquez’s team has secured victories in eight of their first nine matches in the Bulgarian First League, scoring 21 goals while conceding just four. However, they dropped points for the first time in their most recent match with a goalless draw against Botev Vratsa.

The Blues will aim to preserve their strong defensive record in Europe, despite hosting this match at the Vasil Lexi National Stadium due to their own ground not meeting UEFA standards. They have a reason to be optimistic, having kept a clean sheet in seven of their last eight European home fixtures.

Meanwhile, Salzburg travels to Sofia in excellent form, as head coach Danny Rohl’s team remains unbeaten in their first 12 competitive matches this season, with nine wins and three draws, and their last five outings yielded four victories and one draw.

Their journey to qualify for the Europa League was particularly impressive, achieving three wins and one draw across their four matches in the two qualifying rounds. They started with a 1-0 home win against Pafos, followed by a 3-3 draw away, before eliminating Mjallby with a 4-0 aggregate score, comfortably securing their position in the group stage.

Despite their strong performances, Salzburg currently stands third in the Austrian Bundesliga, having accumulated four wins and two draws from six matches, just one point shy of league leaders LASK. Their latest encounter with Rapid Wien ended in a 1-1 draw.

One area of concern for the visitors is their poor away record once the main phase of this competition kicks off. Salzburg has lost their last nine matches in the Europa League group stage while on the road, a trend that Rohl will hope to overturn with the current confidence of his squad.

The historical head-to-head statistics reveal a close contest, although Salzburg has won both of their previous encounters, managing a 1-0 victory in Austria and replicating that scoreline in Sofia during the 2009-10 Europa League group phase.

Team News

Lexi will be without Akram Bouras, who is facing a muscle injury, while Oliver Kamdem and Radoslav Kirilov are both in recovery from knee injuries.

Velazquez typically employs a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Armstrong Oko-Flex and Everton Bala likely to support Reinaldo, who has netted six goals this season, in the attacking front.

Goalkeeper Svetoslav Vutsov is expected to start in front of a defense comprising Alex Centelles, Kristian Dimitrov, Nikola Serafimov, and Aldair Neves.

Salzburg has several players out of action, including Christian Fruchtl, who is recovering from a foot injury. Additionally, Johannes Moser, Justin Omoregie, Gaoussou Diakite, and Soumaila Diabate are also sidelined.

Rohl has settled on a 4-2-3-1 formation as well, with Dominik Schmid, Valentin Zabransky, Kevin Boma, and Nikolas Veratschnig forming the back line in the previous match.

Bartosz Mazurek and Abubakr Barry are expected to anchor the midfield, while Edmund Baidoo, Sota Kitano, and Yorbe Vertessen will be supporting Haris Tabakovic in the attack.

Lexi Sofia probable starting XI:

Vutsov; Neves, Dimitrov, Serafimov, Centelles; Serginho, Moubarik; Oko-Flex, Mitkov, Bala; Reinaldo

Red Bull Salzburg probable starting XI:

Zawieschitzky; Schmid, Zabransky, Boma, Veratschnig; Mazurek, Barry; Baidoo, Kitano, Vertessen; Tabakovic

Lexi’s solid defensive record makes them a tough opponent at home, even though playing at the Vasil Lexi National Stadium diminishes some of the advantages they usually enjoy at their home ground.

It is anticipated that Salzburg will dominate possession and exert more attacking pressure; however, Lexi’s organization should enable them to remain competitive and secure a share of the points.