Derry City will feature in UEFA Europa League qualifying for the first time since the 2020/21 campaign when they take on CSKA Sofia on Thursday.
The Bulgarians may not be the force they once were on the continent and are playing in Europe for the first time in three years, but they have a rich history in European football and host a Derry City side that have struggled on their travels.
The Candystripes have never made it to the group stage of any UEFA competition and are currently on course for their worst domestic season since 2020.
CSKA Sofia v Derry City Tips Summary
Best Bet - CSKA Sofia to win to nil @ 5/6
Alternative Bet - Under 2.5 goals @ 6/5
Bet Builder - 1-2 total goals range, CSKA Sofia to have the most corners, over 10 total corners @ 13/2
CSKA Sofia v Derry City Prediction
Best Bet: CSKA Sofia to win to nil @ 5/6
CSKA Sofia are 2/9 favourites to get a first-leg win on the board against Derry City, and they should have the dominance required to keep a potentially vital clean sheet ahead of their trip to the Republic of Ireland next week.
The Army Men may have suffered a slow decline in quality, but they have made it to the group stage of either the UEFA Europa League or the UEFA Conference League three times in the past decade and were victorious against St Patrick’s Athletic in the 2022/23 UEFA Conference League third qualifying round.
They beat Derry City back in 2009, and the Candystripes have struggled on their travels this season.
The underdogs head to Sofia having won just one of their 12 Irish Premier Division away games, and they have failed to win their on last six European trips.
Derry City have failed to score in four of these six European away days and CSKA Sofia have shut out the opposition in three of their last six home games in European football.
Alternative Bet: Under 2.5 goals @ 6/5
Derry City may be heavy underdogs, but they rarely suffer heavy defeats and that could set the stage for a low-scoring affair in Bulgaria.
Despite their terrible away record this season, the sixth-place side have not conceded more than two goals in any of their trips away, and it is a similar case in their European games, too.
Under 2.5 goals has landed in eight of their last ten and six of CSKA Sofia’s last six European fixtures, and Tuesday’s hosts averaged just 1.3 goals per game in the Bulgarian First League last season.
CSKA Sofia v Derry City Bet Builder Tip
Total goals between 1-2 goals
Most corners: CSKA Sofia
Over 10 corners
Pays 13/2
Derry City’s last five away games against the top four sides in the Irish Premier Division have yielded a total of 54 corners and they have lost the corner battle in three of these.
The Candystripes are expected to be on the back foot for large periods of the game in Sofia, so Tuesday’s hosts should have plenty of chances to rack up their corner count, and that may lead to a high overall number of corners.
Over 10 corners has landed in three of these five trips to the Republic of Ireland’s best sides, so a similar outcome is backed in the Bulgarian capital.
Interestingly, despite failing to win any of the aforementioned away games, Derry City are rarely blown away and they can defend bravely on Tuesday.
There have been one or two goals in three of these trips and in seven of their last ten European ties, while both meetings with CSKA Sofia in their 2009/10 UEFA Europa League tie saw either one or two goals scored.
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Key Match Stats
Derry City have won just one of their 12 Irish Premier Division away games this season.
Under 2.5 goals has landed in eight of the Candystripes’ last ten European games.
Fewer than three goals have been scored in four of CSKA Sofia’s last six European matches.
CSKA Sofia averaged 1.3 goals per game in the Bulgarian First League last season.
Derry City have failed to score in four of their last five European away games.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
