NEC vs Levski Sofia - prediction, team news, lineups

NEC Nijmegen big Levski Sofia successful the UEFA Europa League league signifier astatine Goffertstadion successful Nijmegen connected Thursday.

Dick Schreuder's side, playing continental shot for the archetypal clip since 2009, spell into matchday 2 disconnected the backmost of a battling 1-1 gully astatine Ajax, inactive seeking a effect to their 5-0 opening decision astatine Juventus, portion Julio Velazquez's Levski get connected the backmost of a 2-0 triumph astatine Cherno More Varna that kept them apical of the Bulgarian First League.

Match preview

NEC's third-place decorativeness successful the 2025-26 Eredivisie was the champion league placing successful the club's past and opened the doorway to European qualification for the archetypal clip successful 17 years.

That European escapade began successful Champions League qualifying, wherever NEC bushed Olympiacos 2-1 connected aggregate earlier a 6-1 aggregate decision to Bodo/Glimt successful the playoff circular dropped them into the Europa League.

Schreuder's high-pressing, attacking approach, nicknamed "Dicki-taka" by Dutch media, has been the defining communicative of his tenure since helium replaced Rogier Meijer successful the summertime of 2025.

The club's boldest summertime determination was the free-transfer accomplishment of Dusan Tadic, the erstwhile Ajax skipper returning to Dutch shot to pb the enactment alongside Bryan Linssen and Tjaronn Chery.

That trio were each progressive arsenic NEC fought backmost from an aboriginal header by Tolu Arokodare to gully 1-1 astatine Ajax connected October 10, Chery converting the equalising punishment aft Jorthy Mokio fouled Noe Lebreton, a effect that near NEC with 2 wins, 3 draws and 3 losses from 8 league matches.

NEC person besides mislaid 1-3 to Feyenoord and 0-3 astatine Cambuur this season, either broadside of 2-2 and 1-1 draws with Excelsior and Go Ahead Eagles, a tally that has shown some their attacking menace and a defence breached acold excessively easy for Schreuder's liking.

Levski Sofia get successful Nijmegen apical of the Bulgarian First Professional League, a presumption that has go acquainted nether Spanish manager Julio Velazquez.

Their spot successful the Europa League league signifier followed a lengthy tally done Champions League qualifying, wherever they bushed Borac Banja Luka 5-1, Universitatea Craiova 3-2 and Kairat Almaty 2-0 connected aggregate earlier a 4-0 aggregate decision to AEK Athens successful the playoff round, pursuing a 0-0 archetypal limb successful Sofia, dropped them into Europe's second-tier competition.

Brazilian guardant Reinaldo, a summertime signing from Santa Clara, has already contributed 4 goals successful his archetypal play successful Sofia and offers Velazquez a focal constituent up beforehand alongside seasoned scorer Everton Bala.

Levski's astir caller outing was a 2-0 triumph distant astatine Cherno More Varna connected Sunday, a effect that kept them wide astatine the apical of the array with 28 points from 10 matches, 1 constituent and a crippled successful manus up of second-placed CSKA Sofia.

Earlier successful September, that signifier had been disrupted by a 2-4 location decision to section rivals CSKA Sofia successful a Bulgarian Super Cup and a goalless gully distant astatine Botev Vratsa successful the home league, either broadside of location and distant wins implicit CSKA 1948 Sofia and Slavia Sofia.

In Europe, Levski's ain Europa League run began with a constrictive 0-1 location decision to Red Bull Salzburg, a reminder of the spread successful prime betwixt home and continental competition.

NEC Europa League form:

NEC signifier (all competitions):

Levski Sofia Europa League form:

Levski Sofia signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Bram Nuytinck remains a semipermanent absentee with an ankle wounded that is not expected to wide up until precocious November.

Emre Mor is moving his mode backmost from a groin wounded and is targeting a mid-October return, which could permission his engagement against Levski successful the balance.

Levski's squad was refreshed importantly implicit the summer, with Serginho, Reinaldo and Alex Centelles among the caller arrivals present integrated into Velazquez's first-choice XI.

Goalkeeper Svetoslav Vutsov has started Levski's caller matches successful some the First League and Europe, but was rested past play against Cherno, helium is expecteed to instrumentality betwixt the posts astatine Goffertstadion.

Kristian Dimitrov's acquisition astatine the backmost has been a accordant diagnostic of Levski's defence this season, and helium is expected to clasp his spot alongside Christian Makoun successful cardinal defence.

NEC imaginable starting lineup:

Crettaz; Bras, Schuurs, Fonville; Kers, Nejasmic, Lebreton, Storm; Chery, Tadic, Linssen

Levski Sofia imaginable starting lineup:

Vutsov; Maicon, Makoun, Dimitrov, Aldair; Trdin, Soula; El Moubarik, Serginho, Everton Bala, Reinaldo

We say: NEC 2-1 Levski Sofia

NEC's antiaircraft issues marque a comfy day unlikely, but the mode Schreuder's broadside came from down to clasp Ajax should springiness the Goffertstadion assemblage content that the Juventus mauling was much astir the Italian side's prime than immoderate lasting flaw successful the approach.

Levski person shown they tin occupation teams connected the antagonistic and their First League signifier points to a well-organised group, but matching NEC's attacking intent astatine home, with Tadic and Chery pulling the strings, looks a gangly bid without the payment of caller European big-match experience.

Expect an open, end-to-end contention successful which NEC's firepower conscionable astir outweighs Levski's antiaircraft solidity.

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