Slavia Sofia vs Montana

Slavia's four-goal blitz inside the first 19 minutes of the second half, turning a commanding 3-0 lead into an unassailable 6-0 advantage, killed the contest. Montana had no answer to the intensity of Slavia's attacking transitions after the break.

• Vladimir Nikolov — opened the scoring on his return to the club and led the press from midfield. The tone-setter.
• Ivan Minchev — the captain converted a penalty and controlled the tempo from his midfield role before being substituted.
• Vladimir Miletić — one of several new signings on the scoresheet, showing the depth of Slavia's summer recruitment.

Player of the match: Vladimir Nikolov

Slavia's 15 total shots (7 on target) to Montana's 14 (5 on target) suggests a more balanced game than the 7-2 scoreline implies, but the xG gap tells a different story. Montana's 54% possession (per 4score.ru data) and 81 dangerous attacks to Slavia's 67 indicate they had spells on the front foot, but they lacked cutting edge — only two of their 14 shots came before the 69th minute by which point the game was already lost. Slavia's nine substitutions to Montana's two also reflected the hosts' superior squad depth, with second-half freshness powering the goal rush.

Slavia Sofia completed their pre-season preparations with a dominant statement. The 29-man squad was presented to supporters before kick-off, including the notable presence of 50-year-old goalkeeper Georgi Petkov, who remains part of the setup. Slavia open their First League campaign at home against CSKA Sofia on 20 July 2026 (source: pfcslavia.com). Montana, who were relegated from the top flight last season, will compete in the Second League in 2026/27.

A pre-season friendly scoreline that flatters the victors only slightly. Slavia's nine changes and the introduction of multiple new signings who found the net suggest a squad with genuine attacking depth. Montana will take encouragement from their second-half spell of two goals in four minutes, but defensively they were carved open too easily — a concern ahead of their Second League campaign.