Borac Banja Luka host Levski Sofia at Gradski Stadion on 7 July 2026 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League first qualifying round tie, with the return set for 14 July in Sofia and the winner advancing to the second qualifying round. Both clubs arrive off strong domestic campaigns: Borac finished the Bosnian Premier League with 27 wins and a +56 goal difference, while Levski claimed the Bulgarian First League title, ending Ludogorets Razgrad's long reign by around ten points. Home advantage gives Borac first mover rights, though Levski's pre season form means this is no formality.
Vinko Marinović and Julio Velázquez have never met in competitive management and the difference in preparation time between them is already telling. Marinović has been at Borac since July 2025, whereas Velázquez took over Levski in January 2025 on a contract running to 2028 and has had a full pre season to shape his squad around his methods, which Marinović simply has not had.
Borac's domestic run was strong, with wins over Sarajevo, Široki Brijeg and Željezničar alongside a 2-0 against Pošušje but pre season has been uneven. The 8-0 over Jedinstvo Putevi and 1-0 against Sutjeska sit alongside a 1-3 defeat to Akhmat Grozny, where Borac were caught on the break twice, which is a concern given what Levski's forwards can do. Levski, by contrast, have looked sharp, beating Radnik Surdulica 5-0 and posting 6-0 and 4-0 wins while conceding very little, arriving in Banja Luka in noticeably better pre season form.
Both squads are near full strength with no major absences confirmed and both are expected to line up in a 4-3-3. Borac are built around striker Luka Juričić, who scored around 27 league goals in 2025/26, with Sebastián Herrera and Mladen Jurkas in defence and Sanicanin, Hiros and Grahovac in midfield. Ante Roguljić, Dani Romera and Erik Riđan add depth to the squad. Levski are likely to deploy Maicon Araujo, Trdin, Mitkov, Buras, Fabian and Sangare in attack, with Lukov behind them and Sula, Serafimov, Dimitrov and Aldair at the back.
Borac at home tend to sit compact and counter, with Juričić as the primary outlet. Levski under Velázquez play more expansively, pressing high and looking to dominate possession, which showed in pre season results where they won multiple games by three or more goals. The central matchup between Juričić and Levski's centre backs is where the tie could turn, while Borac's midfield will need to contain Trdin and Mitkov before they find rhythm. If Levski establish possession early, Borac may spend long spells chasing the ball, which suits neither Juričić's running game nor Borac's preferred counter attacking shape.
The clubs have no meaningful prior history at senior level, so there is nothing in the record books to draw on here. Borac's set piece delivery could be a factor given how organised they are defensively, though it is hard to say more without knowing who takes their dead balls or who Marinović targets in the box. Levski's pre season sharpness gives them a slight edge in rhythm and fitness coming in.
3-3. Juričić is the type of striker who punishes a high defensive line, while Levski's run of pre season wins by three goals or more suggests they will not come here to sit deep. Neither defence has looked watertight against quality opposition, so the likeliest outcome is a game where both teams score freely, with the tie alive going to Sofia, where Borac would need to score on the road and Levski would need to hold whatever advantage they carry.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
