CSKA Sofia vs FC CSKA 1948 Sofia Prediction & Betting Tips 13.05.2026

CSKA Sofia and FC CSKA 1948 Sofia meet again on Wednesday evening in the Championship Round of the First Professional League, with the city rivalry carrying far more than local bragging rights. Both sides are level on 62 points, so this one matters at the sharp end of the table: third place for CSKA Sofia, fourth for FC CSKA 1948 Sofia, and the kind of finish that can shape the mood around a whole summer. There’s no buffer between them, no room to coast. One good result here can tilt the balance.

The backdrop is familiar. These two have already crossed paths several times this season, and CSKA Sofia have had the upper hand in the recent meetings. They beat FC CSKA 1948 Sofia 1-0 away on 8 May, with Mohamed Amine Brahimi deciding it in the 58th minute, and that followed earlier wins in February in the league and cup. That recent control gives Hristo Yanev’s side a little more confidence heading into the return fixture. FC CSKA 1948 Sofia, though, have spent most of the year proving they can hurt almost anyone. Aleksandar Emilov Aleksandrov’s team have not had the tidy run they’d have wanted in the closing weeks, but their season away record alone tells you they won’t arrive as passengers.

There’s a neat tension to this one. CSKA Sofia have been harder to beat at home and are very good at shutting the game down when they get in front. FC CSKA 1948 Sofia score enough, travel well, and usually bring a bit of chaos with them. That combination points towards a tight, competitive derby rather than a loose, open shootout. But with both sides having enough quality to nick a goal, the market leans in a familiar direction.

CSKA Sofia Form & Analysis

CSKA Sofia’s recent run has been a proper mixed bag, but the overall tone is positive. They went to FC CSKA 1948 Sofia on 8 May and came away with a 1-0 win, a result that looked earned rather than fortunate. Before that, they had already handled Ludogorets 1-0 at home in the Championship Round, which says plenty about their ceiling when they’re switched on. The only real setback in the last handful was the 3-1 home loss to Levski Sofia on 25 April. Even that doesn’t tell the full story, because they had just taken a 1-1 draw with Levski before that and then held Ludogorets to 0-0 in the Bulgarian Cup. Not bad at all. Not perfect, either. Very CSKA Sofia, in some ways.

What stands out most is how sturdy they’ve been at their own ground. In the league, CSKA Sofia’s home record is 11 wins, four draws and only two defeats, with 28 goals scored and just 12 conceded. That’s a serious return, and it explains why they sit second in the home table despite being third overall. They don’t need many chances to get a foothold, and once they do, they’re awkward to break down. The recent clean sheet in Sofia against Ludogorets fits that picture. So does the fact they’ve now gone three matches unbeaten since their last loss. Three games isn’t a giant streak, but it’s enough to steady the mood.

The flip side is that CSKA Sofia aren’t exactly a relentless goal machine. Their league total of 46 goals is solid rather than spectacular, and at home they’ve often preferred control over fireworks. That can work beautifully in a derby, especially one that tends to stay close. It also means they can drift into low-tempo patterns if the first goal doesn’t come early. They’ve got enough defensive discipline to survive that. Still, if they don’t score first, they can make life harder than it needs to be.

FC CSKA 1948 Sofia Form & Analysis

FC CSKA 1948 Sofia come into this one with slightly less momentum and a bit more frustration. Their last six have included some strong away performances, but the closing stretch hasn’t gone their way. They lost 1-0 at home to CSKA Sofia on 8 May, then followed it with a 1-0 defeat away to Levski Sofia on 2 May. That’s a pair of narrow losses against rivals, and those margins matter. Before that, though, they had every reason to feel good about themselves: a 2-1 win away at Ludogorets, a 4-0 hammering of Cherno More Varna on the road, and a 1-0 home win over Botev Vratsa. When they’re in rhythm, they can look sharp and direct. The problem is they’ve just lost that rhythm.

Away from home, though, there’s a reason they’re still second in the league table for road results. Their away record reads 10 wins, two draws and five losses, with 27 scored and 16 conceded. That is a proper away profile. They don’t just sit back and hope. They’ve won at Ludogorets, won at Cherno More Varna 4-0, and generally shown they’re comfortable carrying threat into hostile grounds. That matters here because CSKA Sofia won’t be able to assume this is a home banker. FC CSKA 1948 Sofia have enough bite to make the hosts work for every inch.

The weakness is more about timing than quality. They’ve now gone two matches without a win and, more importantly, they’ve failed to keep a clean sheet in three straight games. Their latest defeat at home to CSKA Sofia was also a decent reminder of the gap in control: they managed only nine shots, two on target, and an xG of 0.88 against CSKA Sofia’s 1.73. That wasn’t a one-off collapse, but it was a sign that the cleaner chances belonged to the visitors. FC CSKA 1948 Sofia can score on the road, and often do, yet they’re also vulnerable to conceding once the game gets stretched. That’s the danger for them in Sofia.

Head-to-Head

This derby has leaned CSKA Sofia’s way lately. They’ve won three of the last five meetings listed here, and the common thread is simple enough: FC CSKA 1948 Sofia have struggled to score freely against them. CSKA Sofia kept clean sheets in three of those wins, including the most recent 1-0 success on 8 May and the 2-0 league win in February. There was also a 2-2 draw in December 2024, so this hasn’t been a one-way stroll, but the pattern is clear enough. CSKA Sofia have generally had the better of the defensive exchanges.

That’s the wrinkle for this match. The rivalry can be fiery, the games can be tight, and four of the last five meetings have gone under 2.5 goals. You don’t get many goalfests in this fixture. You also don’t get many one-sided afternoons. If FC CSKA 1948 Sofia are to alter the recent pattern, they’ll need to be sharper in the final third than they were a week ago. Much sharper.

We Predict: Both Teams To Score

We’re backing Both Teams To Score at 1/1 for this derby. If you want a few more angles around treble tips, our treble tips page pulls together treble tips if you want a middle ground between singles and full accumulators. It’s a fair price for a game that brings together CSKA Sofia’s strong home platform and FC CSKA 1948 Sofia’s reliable away threat. CSKA Sofia have been cleaner defensively lately, but they’ve still been involved in enough matches where the opposition has created chances. FC CSKA 1948 Sofia, for their part, have scored 27 away league goals and have enough pace and energy to trouble a home side that can’t afford to sit too deep.

The recent head-to-head doesn’t scream a goals bonanza, and that’s the only real tension in the bet. Still, FC CSKA 1948 Sofia’s away record and CSKA Sofia’s occasional wobble in front of goal make a 1-1 draw feel very live. That’s the scoreline we’d settle on. If you want a slightly more conservative angle, under 2.5 goals has a strong case too, but BTTS looks the sharper play at the quoted price.