Stoyanchov's header gives Levski Sofia a 1-0 win over Jagiellonia in the Europa League

The Vasil Levski National Stadium stayed scoreless for 81 minutes, until a corner kick settled a tightly contested match. Stivan Stoyanchov rose in the box to head home the decisive 1-0 for Levski Sofia over Jagiellonia Bialystok, in the league phase of the Europa League.

The goal came in the 82nd minute: a corner conceded by Aleksandar Cirkovic, a cross into the box from David Kusso, and a header from Stoyanchov that found the right side of the net. Just minutes earlier, in the 78th minute, Stoyanchov himself had given a warning with another header that was stopped right by the post. His persistence eventually paid off.

A goalless first half

Chances came from the opening whistle, though none found the net before the break. Jagiellonia created early danger through Nik Prelec and Jesus Imaz, who both tried their luck from inside the box without hitting the target. On the other side, Everton Bala was Levski's most persistent threat, firing off several shots between the 18th and 32nd minutes without success, while Reinaldo and Serginho also tested the visiting goalkeeper, who had an answer each time. Serginho, in fact, couldn't finish the first half: an injury forced him off for Armstrong Oko-Flex before the start of the second half.

The second half followed the same back and forth pattern, with Jagiellonia looking to attack down the flanks through Anders Klynge and Guilherme Montoia, while Levski waited for its chance. That chance came from a set piece, the very tool that finally tipped the balance.

What the numbers say

The stats reflect an even match, with Jagiellonia holding a bit more of the ball but Levski sharper in front of goal:

Our own expected goals estimate, calculated from the shots taken in the match, came out almost dead even: 1.081 for Levski Sofia versus 1.085 for Jagiellonia. That figure confirms this was a match with few certainties, one decided by a single moment rather than a clear gap in chances created.

Before kickoff, the pre-match model gave Levski Sofia a 52% chance of winning, against 19% for Jagiellonia and 29% for a draw, with expected goals of 1.52 for the home side and 0.85 for the visitors. The final scoreline, a tight 1-0, ended up matching that favoritism, even though the match itself was far more even than those pre-match numbers suggested.

What the result means

With this win, Levski Sofia moves to 7 points in the league phase, with a record of two wins, one draw and one loss in four matches played, now just 4 points behind Jagiellonia Bialystok in the overall standings. The Polish side, meanwhile, sits with one win, no draws and three losses, a run of results that leaves it in an uncomfortable spot in the table. For Levski, Stoyanchov's late goal did more than decide the match, it also delivered a valuable result in a competition where every point is starting to carry weight.