Septemvri Sofia vs Slavia Sofia

Septemvri struck first from the spot in the seventh minute. Martin Georgiev fouled in the box and Edni Ribeiro stepped up to slot the penalty past the Slavia goalkeeper, giving Septemvri an early lead.

Slavia were forced into an early change just before half-time when Valentin Yotov was substituted after a collision, replaced by Vladimir Nikolov — a player returning to the club at Ovcha Kupel this summer.

The tactical switch paid dividends four minutes after the restart. Yanis Germush delivered an assist for Umaro Baldé, who swept home to level the score at 1–1.

In the 59th minute, Nikolov completed the turnaround. The midfielder found space in the box and fired Slavia into a 2–1 lead — a memorable return for the newly-signed player.

Septemvri refused to fold. Six minutes later, they restored parity with a long-range strike that left the Slavia goalkeeper with no chance, making it 2–2.

Deep into stoppage time, the decisive moment arrived. Vasil Kazaldzhiev was brought down in the Septemvri penalty area, and Bornosuzov made no mistake from 12 yards, sending the ball into the net to snatch all three goals for Slavia.

Vladimir Nikolov's introduction in the 40th minute shifted the game. Slavia's shape looked sharper after the enforced change, and Nikolov's goal in the 59th minute — his first since returning to the club — gave Slavia the lead for the first time. His presence in the midfield was the catalyst for the second-half revival.

• Vladimir Nikolov (Slavia Sofia) — Introduced as an early substitute, scored what proved to be the crucial second goal and added energy to Slavia's midfield. Man of the match.
• Yoan Bornosuzov (Slavia Sofia) — Held his nerve to convert the injury-time penalty that won the game.
• Umaro Baldé (Slavia Sofia) — Scored the equaliser early in the second half, triggering Slavia's resurgence.
• Edni Ribeiro (Septemvri Sofia) — Gave Septemvri the lead from the penalty spot and was a threat throughout.

Slavia Sofia's comeback was built on a strong second-half reaction. Septemvri led 1–0 at the break despite the match being evenly contested, but Slavia turned the game decisively after the restart with three goals. The fixture's history of producing goals held true — 79% of the 14 meetings between these sides have seen both teams score, and 79% have gone over 2.5 goals. This match followed both trends.

This was Slavia's third pre-season friendly win under coach Ratko Dostanić as they prepare for the 2026/27 efbet Liga campaign. They face Romanian side CS Slatina on 8 July in their final pre-season test before returning to Sofia. The team's official presentation for the new season is scheduled for 11 July.

Septemvri, coached by Hristo Arangelov, are also in pre-season training, having set up camp in Razlog from 30 June to 12 July. They play Hebar on 7 July in their next friendly.

A classic pre-season Sofia derby that had everything — a penalty, a comeback, a returning hero and a last-gasp winner. Slavia's second-half response after a sluggish first period showed encouraging signs for Dostanić, while Septemvri will take heart from their ability to trouble their city rivals despite the narrow defeat.