Levski Sofia vs 17.09.26 16:450 – 1Full Time
Red Bull Salzburg — UEFA Europa League: stats, lineups & analysis
Match report
Tabaković strike gives Salzburg win over Levski Sofia
Red Bull Salzburg edged Levski Sofia 1-0 in their opening UEFA Europa League league-stage fixture at the National Stadium Vasil Levski, with Haris Tabaković's first-half goal proving decisive on matchday one.
AI-assisted match report written from official match data.
Tabaković broke the deadlock in the 39th minute, turning the scoreline to 0-1 and sending the visitors into the break with a lead they would not relinquish. Levski pushed for an equaliser after the interval but could not find a way past the Salzburg defence, and the score remained unchanged through to full time.
The hosts had more of the ball and generated a healthy volume of shots, yet none of their 14 attempts found the target, a stark contrast to Salzburg, who converted seven of their 12 efforts into shots on target. Levski also picked up five yellow cards to Salzburg's solitary caution amid a disciplined, if increasingly fractious, contest.
Tabaković's 39th-minute finish proved the difference, earning him a 7.46 rating in a losing effort for Levski, while home midfielder Svetoslav Vutsov topped the performance charts with a 7.56 rating despite finishing on the losing side.
Despite having less of the ball, Salzburg were far more clinical, landing seven shots on target compared to Levski's none from 14 attempts.
Red Bull Salzburg won 1–0 away against Levski Sofia (half-time 0–1).
Levski Sofia met Red Bull Salzburg in the UEFA Europa League (League Stage - 1). Kick-off was Thursday, 17 September 2026, 16:45 UTC at Vasil Levski National Stadium. Referee: Mohammad Al-Emara.
Team pages: Levski Sofia · Red Bull Salzburg · UEFA Europa League
Key moments
- 39' Goal: Haris Tabaković — 0–1
Starting line-ups
Levski Sofia (4-2-3-1)
Red Bull Salzburg (4-2-3-1)
Sirius · Why these numbers
Before kick-off Sirius gave Levski Sofia 27%, the draw 22%, Red Bull Salzburg 51%. It finished Levski Sofia 0–1 Red Bull Salzburg.
Red Bull Salzburg's rating gap outweighs Levski Sofia's home ground — Red Bull Salzburg are clearly the stronger side on our strength rating, and that is most of Red Bull Salzburg's 51%. The draw at 22% is trimmed by a league that produces few draws.
Why Red Bull Salzburg at 51%?
Red Bull Salzburg sit 205 points higher on our strength rating — 1519 to 1724. Sides with a 200–300-point rating edge on the road won 52.0% of 6,094 such games. The 300 most similar past games finished 26–26–48.
Why only 51%?
UEFA Europa League home sides out-perform the global norm — and the difference mostly flows to draws (22.8% vs 24.9% norm). UEFA Europa League homes won 47.6% of 4,447 games vs 44.9% across all 100,266 — outside the noise band, so the tally moves accordingly.
Why is the draw only 22%?
With a rating gap this size the draw starts at 24.0%. These teams' recent games average 2.8 goals — a typical goals environment. Games in that environment drew 24.6% of 25,104. UEFA Europa League produces fewer draws than most, taking 2.1 points off.
What did we measure but not count?
Levski Sofia are missing 2 regular starters — Nikola Serafimov, El El Moubarik — about 16% of their usual starting-XI weight. A body count alone told us nothing.
Sirius probabilities, frozen at kick-off. Analysis, not betting advice. How Sirius is doing this season · Full breakdown, evidence cards and squad news in the Match Insights tab
About this match
On this page: the Levski Sofia vs Red Bull Salzburg final score and result, goal highlights and video clips of every goal, who scored, starting lineups, match stats and the full match report from this UEFA Europa League fixture.
- Who scored and when — a goal-by-goal timeline of the match.
- Match stats — possession, shots, expected goals (xG), corners and cards.
- Starting lineups and player ratings for both teams.
- Head-to-head record and recent form for both sides.
Watch the goals: goal highlights and video clips of every goal from Levski Sofia 0–1 Red Bull Salzburg. Explore more on the Levski Sofia and Red Bull Salzburg team pages or the UEFA Europa League page.
Quick answers
›What was the final score of Levski Sofia vs Red Bull Salzburg?
Red Bull Salzburg won 1–0 away against Levski Sofia (half-time 0–1).
›Who scored in Levski Sofia vs Red Bull Salzburg?
Haris Tabaković (39') for Red Bull Salzburg.
›Where can I watch Levski Sofia vs Red Bull Salzburg highlights?
Goal highlights and video clips from Levski Sofia 0–1 Red Bull Salzburg are on this page — open the videos tab to watch every goal.