Borac Banja Luka vs Levski Sofia Prediction: Bosnians backed to take a lead to Bulgaria

Bosnian league champions Borac Banja Luka take on Bulgarian league winners Levski Sofia in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League first qualifying round tie on Tuesday (8:45pm local, 7:45pm BST).

Below are my Borac Banja Luka vs Levski Sofia predictions, alongside all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this first-ever meeting between the two sides, taking place at Banja Luka City Stadium.

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Team News

Borac boss Vinko Marinovic may be without first-choice goalkeeper Mladen Jurkas, whose World Cup journey with Bosnia-Herzegovina came to an end with a 2-0 defeat to co-hosts USA in the round of 32 last week. The 18-year-old didn’t feature in North America, but may be given time off after his international exertions.

Nikola Cetkovic started Borac’s 3-1 friendly defeat to Akhmat Grozny on June 29 and may get the nod between the sticks if Jurka isn’t made available.

Luka Juricic stormed to the Golden Boot in Bosnia’s top flight last season, netting 27 times in 35 appearances, and he will lead the line on Tuesday.

Football Odds

Perhaps the most well-known name to UK audiences in Levski’s squad is Irishman Armstrong Oko-Flex, who spent time on the books of Celtic, West Ham United and Swansea City.

The 24-year-old scored two league goals last season in Poland and will hope to start Tuesday’s first leg in Banja Luka.

Brazilian forward Everton Bala struck 19 times across all competitions last season, scoring once in the UEFA Conference League, and is a certainty to make Julio Velazquez’s starting XI against Borac.

Borac Banja Luka vs Levski Sofia Odds

Borac Banja Luka are 11/5 to take a first-leg lead to Bulgaria next week, implying a 31.3% probability of success, with Levski Sofia 11/10, or a 47.6% chance, to head home with the win.

The draw, meanwhile, is priced at 21/10.

2 Up Early Payout - Borac Banja Luka @ 2/1

We haven’t got much to go on here, with both sides starting their competitive seasons on Tuesday and having never previously played against each other.

Levski played in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Europa League and Conference League last season, bowing out of continental football in the play-off round of the latter after a 6-1 aggregate defeat to AZ Alkmaar.

Borac, meanwhile, weren’t in European action last season, but they reached the Conference League last 16 in 2024/25. In nine home matches across the Champions League, Europa League (both qualifiers) and Conference League, they lost just once, winning four times, so they have pedigree on home soil in Europe.

The Bosnian side collected 49 points from a possible 54 in the league last season, scoring 51 times and conceding just 11 goals in 18 games, while Levski picked up 35 points from 18 league away matches.

At 2/1 in the 2 Up Early Payout market, meaning the bet will be settled as a win if they ever go two goals ahead, Borac take my fancy here.