Friendlies Clubs· Season 2026
CSKA Sofia II came from 1-0 down at half-time to beat Sportist Svoge 2-1 in a pre-season club friendly at the CSKA Sports Complex in Pancharevo.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
The match began with a minute's silence in memory of the young players from Slavia Sofia's academy who died in a tragic road accident earlier that week, as reported by Topsport.bg.
Sportist Svoge struck first. In the 15th minute, Hristo Petrov played Antonio Popov through on the right wing. Popov outran his marker and finished calmly one-on-one against goalkeeper Georgi Gerginov to put the visitors ahead. The goal stood as the only score of a first half in which CSKA Sofia II struggled to create clear chances.
Both head coaches — Valentin Iliev for CSKA II and Zahari Sirakov for Sportist Svoge — made sweeping changes at the break. Iliev introduced nine fresh players across the second period, replacing the entire outfield and goalkeeper.
The overhaul paid off in the 50th minute. Substitute Konstantin Yordanov levelled the score, capitalising on the home side's renewed energy. Eleven minutes later, fellow substitute Aleksandar Buchkov fired home from distance to complete the turnaround.
Neither side could add a third despite further substitutions, and CSKA Sofia II held on for a 2-1 victory.
The turning point
The half-time interval. CSKA Sofia II's starting XI had created little against a compact Sportist Svoge defence. Iliev's mass changes — introducing Yordanov, Buchkov, Bozhidar Petrov, Yulian Iliev, Martin Sorakov and Aleksandar Iv. Georgiev within minutes of the restart — transformed the team's tempo. The hosts went from being second-best to dominant inside 15 minutes.
Key performers
Konstantin Yordanov (CSKA Sofia II) — Scored the equaliser in the 50th minute, his movement and energy immediately changing the game after coming on at half-time.
Aleksandar Buchkov (CSKA Sofia II) — Also introduced after the break, Buchkov sealed the win with a long-range strike in the 61st minute, as reported by Topsport.bg.
Antonio Popov (Sportist Svoge) — Gave the visitors a deserved lead with a composed 15th-minute finish, but was unable to influence the game after the restart as Sportist faded.
Georgi Gerginov (CSKA Sofia II) — Kept a clean sheet in the second half after a difficult first 45, making several saves to preserve the lead after Buchkov's goal.
Player of the match: Konstantin Yordanov.
By the numbers
The provider payload shows CSKA Sofia II trailing 0-1 at half-time and winning 2-1 at full-time — the split tells the whole story. The home side registered little of note before the break but scored twice in 11 second-half minutes (50' and 61'). Sportist Svoge, by contrast, failed to build on their early lead and created little after the opening 15 minutes.
CSKA Sofia II's H2H record against Sportist Svoge now reads 4 competitive and friendly meetings: 2 wins for CSKA II, 1 for Sportist, and 1 draw, with 10 total goals across those fixtures (2.50 per match), per fcCSKA.com data.
What it means
This was a pre-season friendly with no competitive stakes, but the result continues CSKA Sofia II's positive trajectory after a strong finish to the 2025/26 campaign — they won 7 of their last 12 competitive matches before this fixture, as per Tipsomatic data. Sportist Svoge, who lost 7 of their final 12 league games last season, will take the early goal as a positive but will be concerned by their second-half collapse.
Both sides continue their pre-season schedules ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Verdict
A tale of two halves. Sportist Svoge were sharper in the opening 45 minutes, but CSKA Sofia II's superior squad depth and Iliev's proactive half-time changes proved decisive. The comeback was built on energy and directness after the break, and the result gives the hosts a useful morale boost heading into their pre-season programme.
Rivalry since 2024
CSKA Sofia II vs Sportist Svoge Head to Head Results· 4
CSKA Sofia II and Sportist Svoge have met 4 times — CSKA Sofia II won 2, Sportist Svoge won 1, with 1 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2024. CSKA Sofia II leads the head-to-head with 2 victories from 4 meetings. A combined 10 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 2.50 per match (8 for the home side, 2 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 1 match (25%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 2 games (50%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. CSKA Sofia II are currently unbeaten in the last 3 meetings. The highest-scoring encounter finished 6–0 in 2025.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 29 Jun 2026