Two domestic champions. First time they had ever met in any competition. One goal each.
Juricic scored in the 9th. Oko-Flex equalised in the 55th. 1-1. The tie goes to Sofia on July 14.
Juricic. Penalty. Nine Minutes.
Stefan Savic was fouled in the box. Penalty given. Luka Juricic stepped up and scored. 1-0. Borac ahead at home.
Borac Banja Luka won the Bosnian Premier League this season. Their fourth title. Record-breaking. They secured it with four games to spare, winning 27 of 36 matches and conceding on average 0.8 goals per game all season. They came into this Champions League qualifying round as domestic champions who had dominated everything in front of them.
The Gradski Stadion responded to the early goal. Levski were a goal down away from home in their first competitive visit to Banja Luka.
Forty-Six Minutes of Borac Control
Borac held the lead until the 55th minute. Forty-six minutes of relative comfort. The lead could have been extended. It was not.
Levski had their moments. They are not a small club. They ended Ludogorets’ run of 14 consecutive Bulgarian First League titles this season. Fourteen in a row. Levski stopped it. They won the Bulgarian league for the first time since 2009. Under Julio Velazquez they finished with 25 wins from 36 games and scored 71 goals.
A side that put up those numbers does not go quietly in Europe. Even 1-0 down away from home.
Oko-Flex. 55th Minute. Level.
Serginho played the ball across to Armstrong Oko-Flex. Oko-Flex finished. 1-1.
Armstrong Oko-Flex — born in England, representing Bulgaria. His goal brought Levski level and immediately shifted the psychology of the tie. Instead of Borac defending a home lead in Sofia, both clubs now go into the second leg perfectly balanced.
Oko-Flex went off injured shortly after his goal. David Kusso replaced him. The injury will be monitored before the second leg. If Oko-Flex is unavailable next week, Levski lose their goalscorer from the first leg.
Three Yellow Cards. No Red. Competitive But Controlled.
Serafimov booked for Levski. Juricic booked for Borac. Ogrinec booked for Borac. Three yellows. The tackle count was high. The intensity was obvious. For a first competitive meeting between two clubs from different leagues and different countries, the physicality was exactly what you expect from two sides who know how to win.
Neither side crumbled. Neither side opened up completely. The draw is an honest reflection of 90 minutes that could have gone either way.
What Both Clubs Take From This
Borac come away from home with a point. That is not what they wanted. They were ahead. They had the crowd. They had the momentum. Conceding from a counter in the 55th gave the tie back to Levski.
But they are still in it. Fully in it. 1-1 away from home in a European tie with two goals to play for is far from over.
Levski get the second leg at Vivacom Arena — Georgi Asparuhov in Sofia. Their own ground. Their supporters. A 0-0 or a win and they go through. Borac need to score in Bulgaria.
The winner of this tie faces the winner of Vitebsk versus Universitatea Craiova in the second qualifying round. The path continues. Everything is still possible for both clubs.
For more UEFA Champions League qualifying coverage visit FawaNews football. Full qualifying bracket, results and fixtures at the official UEFA Champions League website.
FK Borac Banja Luka 1-1 Levski Sofia UEFA Champions League 2026/27 — First Qualifying Round, First Leg | Tuesday, 7 July 2026 | Gradski Stadion, Banja Luka, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Goals: Luka Juricic 9′ pen (BOA, fouled player: Stefan Savic) | Armstrong Oko-Flex 55′ (LEV, assist: Serginho) Yellow Cards: Nikola Serafimov (LEV) | Luka Juricic, Sandi Ogrinec (BOA) Injury: Armstrong Oko-Flex (off, replaced by David Kusso)
Borac Banja Luka XI (4-2-3-1): Siskovski | Riđan, Jakšić, Cherif Atab, Vuković | Hiroš, Vranješ | Radošević, Milak, Roguljić | Đajić (Romera sub) Subs available: Cetkovic, Pascual, Sanicanin, Herrera, Rogan, Jojic, Savic, Ogrinec, Hrelja, Deket, Juricic
Levski Sofia XI (4-2-3-1): Vladimirov | Lukov, Makoun, Centelles, Aldair | Oko-Flex, Moubarik | Raychev, Perea, Stoyanchov Subs available: Vutsov, Dimitrov, Serafimov, Maicon, Kamdem, Trdin, Bouras, Serginho, Everton Bala, Reinaldo, Kusso
Second Leg: Levski Sofia vs FK Borac Banja Luka | 14 July 2026 | Vivacom Arena — Georgi Asparuhov, Sofia Winner advances to: Second qualifying round vs Vitebsk/Universitatea Craiova
