Panathinaikos v CSKA Sofia: Conference League leaders host 23rd

The occasion and the table

Panathinaikos host CSKA Sofia in the UEFA Conference League, and kick-off is at 20:00 on 5 November 2026. The two clubs arrive at very different ends of the standings.

Panathinaikos sit 1st in the UEFA Conference League table with 6 points from 2 matches. They have won both of those games, scoring 7 goals and conceding 2. That maximum return has put them at the summit.

CSKA Sofia are 23rd with 1 point from 2 matches. Their record reads 0 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat, with 3 goals scored and 4 conceded. They arrive still looking for a first victory in the table.

Recent form and home/away records

Panathinaikos are unbeaten in their last 5 matches, with 4 wins and 1 draw. Most recently they won 5-1 away against Kairat Almaty. Before that came a 2-1 home victory over Borac Banja Luka, and before that a 2-1 away win against Hradec Králové. Earlier still, they drew 2-2 at home with Hradec Králové, and before that they won 2-1 away against CSKA 1948.

At home in the UEFA Conference League this season, Panathinaikos have played 4 matches, recording 1 win, 3 draws and 0 defeats, with 7 goals scored and 6 conceded. Visiting sides have often found a way to take something from the match on their pitch, although none has left with a win.

CSKA Sofia's last 5 matches have brought 0 wins, 1 draw and 4 defeats. Their most recent outing was a 2-2 draw away against Nordsjælland. Before that, they lost 1-2 at home to Monaco, and before that they were beaten 0-2 at home by OFI Crete. Prior to that, they lost 0-3 away to OFI Crete, and before that they suffered a 1-3 home defeat by Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Away from home in the UEFA Conference League this season, CSKA Sofia have played 1 match, which ended in a draw, with 2 goals scored and 2 conceded. It is a small sample, but it is the only away record the visitors bring to this fixture, and it is unbeaten.

Players to watch

Cyriel Dessers is Panathinaikos's top scorer in the UEFA Conference League this season with 3 goals. He leads the line for a side that has been consistently productive, and their 7 goals from 2 matches in the UEFA Conference League underline the attacking threat around him.

For CSKA Sofia, Joel Zwarts is the top scorer in the competition this season with 1 goal. With goals harder to come by for the visitors, his contribution in front of goal is likely to be important to their hopes of getting something from the match.

How the two sides tend to play

The numbers point to a Panathinaikos side built to score. They found the net in all of their last 5 matches, yet kept a clean sheet in none of them, and both teams scored in all 5. Their home record in the competition tells a similar story: plenty of goals at both ends, with 7 scored and 6 conceded in 4 matches.

CSKA Sofia scored in 3 of their last 5 matches, kept a clean sheet in 0, and both teams scored in 3. They have struggled to keep opponents out, and they failed to score in the two meetings with OFI Crete. Their latest result, a 2-2 draw away against Nordsjælland, showed they can trouble a defence on the road.

With neither side keeping a clean sheet in their last 5 matches, defensive solidity will be a question for both managers.

Estimated win chances

Estimated win chances from market data, computed by goal888 with the margin removed, give Panathinaikos 70%, a draw 18% and CSKA Sofia 12%. These figures are estimates derived from market data, not a prediction of the result.

Calculated from market prices, not a prediction or betting advice.