Hapoel Tel-Aviv
- Hapoel Tel-Aviv have won two, drawn one and lost two of their last five home games.
- Hapoel come into this tie on a run of three wins, two draws and five defeats in their last 10 games across all competitions, which reflects the Israeli side's ability to nick results even when they aren't playing at their best.
- Hapoel Tel-Aviv coach Elyaniv Barda has led his side since 10th December 2024 and generally attempts to control games from the midfield with his 4-2-3-1 system, two deep pivots and central creative player.
PFC Ludogorets Razgrad
- PFC Ludogorets Razgrad have won one, drawn one and lost three of their last five away games.
- PFC Ludogorets Razgrad coach Thomas Reis has been at the helm since 12th July 2026 and is an experienced practitioner of a more pragmatic European game.
- He sets his team up with a four-man back line, looking to keep it compact and transition quickly when the ball is won.
- Ludogorets' recent form has been more erratic, with two wins, one draw and two defeats in their last five, so there isn't much of an edge for them there.
- Hapoel's last three games resulted in a 0-2 home loss to Hapoel Beer-Sheva, a 4-1 away loss to Maccabi Haifa FC and a 1-1 draw at Beitar Jerusalem, while Ludogorets played out a 1-1 home draw against PFC Levski Sofia, were beaten 1-0 away by FC CSKA 1948 and then beat PFC CSKA Sofia 1-0 at home.
Betting Insights
- The odds look about right with Ludogorets coming in at 2.47, Hapoel at 3.09 and the draw at 3.1, and the visitors should be able to edge out a one or two goal victory, or settle for a close draw in this first leg.
- Under 2.5 goals at 1.57 looks a decent play in this spot, but both teams to score at 1.95 has plenty of live odds, while BTTS No at 1.75 also appeals in a game where one or both teams may be cagey.
Prediction
The two teams' styles could mean Thursday's game is a real tug of war , with Hapoel looking to dictate tempo and Ludogorets hunting the break.
