AEK Athens vs Levski Sofia predictions: Greek champions strong enough to progress
Tom Clark
AEK Athens are unbeaten in their last six home matches in all competitions, scoring in each of those
Five of Levski Sofia's seven Champions League qualifiers this season have featured under 2.5 goals
Recommended bet: AEK Athens to go through and under 2.5 goals @ 0.97/1 with LiveScore Bet
AEK Athens and Levski Sofia meet in the second leg of their Champions League play-off tie on Wednesday evening, with nothing separating the two sides after a goalless draw in Bulgaria.
AEK were the more threatening side in Sofia and created the better opportunities, with Luka Jovic hitting the crossbar in the first half.
However, there were only four shots on target across the 90 minutes and neither side was able to find the breakthrough, leaving the tie effectively as a one-off decider in Athens.
AEK responded to that draw by beginning their Greek title defence with a commanding 4-0 victory over Iraklis on Saturday, while Levski continued their impressive domestic form with a 6-0 win over Spartak Varna.
Both teams are reigning domestic champions and have spent years waiting for another opportunity to reach the Champions League proper, so the stakes could hardly be higher.
The latest AEK Athens vs Levski Sofia odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Team news
AEK have no major injury concerns ahead of the second leg and will be expected to name a strong side after their emphatic victory at the weekend.
Jovic remains a key attacking threat after his 17-goal campaign last season, while Majer was influential in the first leg and should again be central to the hosts' creative plans.
Barnabas Varga also strengthened his case for a prominent role by scoring in Saturday's 4-0 win over Iraklis.
Levski also arrive in excellent domestic form and have no shortage of attacking options after their six-goal victory over Spartak Varna.
Former West Ham man Armstrong Oko-Flex scored twice in that match and will hope to build on his recent form, while Reinaldo has also been a significant contributor during qualifying.
Mustapha Sangare and Akram Bouras are potential doubts due to injury, although Levski will otherwise be looking to retain the defensive solidity that has been a feature of their European campaign.
The Stats
AEK Athens have won four and drawn five of their last nine competitive matches.
The Greek champions have scored in seven of their last nine games.
AEK are unbeaten in their last six home matches in all competitions, scoring in each of those games.
Levski Sofia have won all five of their Bulgarian league matches this season, scoring 15 goals and conceding only two.
Levski have drawn three of their seven Champions League qualifiers this season.
Five of Levski's seven Champions League qualifying matches have featured under 2.5 goals.
The latest AEK Athens vs Levski Sofia odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
AEK Athens to go through and under 2.5 goals appeals after the first leg produced a cagey goalless draw with little to separate the two sides.
The Greek champions created the better opportunities in Sofia and will now have the benefit of home advantage, where they are unbeaten in their last six matches and have scored in each game.
However, this does not look likely to develop into an open contest. There were only four shots on target in the first leg and both teams know that one mistake could decide who reaches the League Phase.
Levski have been prolific domestically, scoring 15 goals in five league wins, but their European campaign has been considerably more cautious.
Five of their seven Champions League qualifiers have featured under 2.5 goals, while two of their three away matches in Europe have also stayed below that mark.
AEK should have enough quality to make their home advantage count, particularly after the confidence boost of Saturday's 4-0 league win.
Levski are capable of making this another difficult evening, though, and a narrow home victory looks more likely than a high-scoring affair.
Score prediction: AEK Athens 1-0 Levski Sofia
Back AEK Athens to go through and under 2.5 goals @ 0.97/1 with LiveScore Bet
