Levski Sofia defeated CSKA 1948 1-0 in the First League regular season, match 8, on Saturday evening at the Vivacom Arena Georgi Asparuhov. The visitors arrived fourth in the table, but the hosts had already established themselves at the summit with eight wins from eight games. And here's the thing — the result extended Levski's unbeaten run to eight matches without a single drop of points.
Juan Perea provided the decisive moment in the 58th minute. He had already seen a yellow card at 28 minutes, and his contribution proved worth the booking. Hector Cuellar had been cautioned earlier for the visitors at 17 minutes, setting an edge that never quite broke. The goal came from open play, not a set piece, and that distinction matters when you watch the whole match.
Substitutions began at 46 minutes when Andre Hoffmann was replaced for CSKA 1948. Elias Correa Franco followed at 50, and the double change at 62 brought on Frederic Maciel and Borislav Tsonev. Mazire Soula came on at 65 minutes. The 76th minute saw both Marko Grujić and Perea — the scorer — involved in the change. Armstrong Oko-Flex entered at 82 and picked up a yellow card at 84, while Diego Medina took a booking at 86.
Both teams shared possession equally at 50 percent. Levski registered 104 attacks with three shots on target from nine off target. CSKA 1948 had slightly more attacks — 106 — but only managed two shots on target from four off target. To be fair, accuracy mattered more than volume here, and the hosts found their way through when it counted.
Levski remain top of the First League with 24 points from eight victories. CSKA 1948 sit fourth with 16 points — five wins, one draw, two defeats. The eight-point gap is substantial, but not insurmountable before the midway point. Recent form for the hosts included a 2-1 win over Slavia, a 3-1 victory against Botev, and a heavy 4-0 defeat to AEK Athens away.
The prediction of a home win at 62 per cent confidence proved accurate. By then, Levski had proved they could grind out results even when the game wasn't flowing for them. The gap between first and fourth now demands attention from CSKA 1948's coaching staff.
