Substitute Steven Stoyanchov headed an 83rd-minute winner as Levski Sofia beat Jagiellonia Bialystok 1-0 in Sofia to strengthen their Europa League position. The young forward, on for Mazire Soula midway through the second half, met fellow substitute David Kusso's delivery seven minutes from time to settle a tight, goalless-until-late contest and give Julio Velázquez's side back-to-back European wins.
Bala threatens, but Sofia stays goalless
Levski carried the greater threat through a first half that produced chances without a breakthrough. Francisco Everton Mota de Castro — Everton Bala — was the game's busiest attacker, finishing with seven shots, and Reinaldo added three more as the Bulgarians pressed Jagiellonia's back line. At the other end Svetoslav Vutsov was protected well by Kristian Dimitrov and Christian Makoun, and the sides went in at 0-0, as Sports Mole's match centre recorded.
The pattern fitted both teams' European seasons. Levski had won 2-1 away to Viktoria Plzeň on Matchday 3, a result that showed they can score when games open up, while Jagiellonia — set up in a 4-3-3 with Jesús Imaz and captain Taras Romanczuk in midfield, per UEFA's official line-ups — are happiest keeping games tight. Serginho twice needed treatment for Levski in the first half and was replaced at the break by Armstrong Oko-Flex.
Velázquez's bench wins it: Kusso crosses, Stoyanchov heads home
Adrian Siemieniec moved first in the second half, introducing Yuki Kobayashi and Ousmane Sow at half-time, but it was Velázquez's changes that decided the match. Stoyanchov replaced Soula on 63 minutes; Kusso came on for Everton Bala on 75. On 83 minutes the two substitutes combined — Kusso created it, Stoyanchov headed it in for 1-0, as Sportradar's play-by-play detailed.
Stoyanchov was booked a minute later in the celebrations' aftermath, and Levski managed the closing minutes with the discipline of a side that knew exactly what the goal was worth. Jagiellonia pushed — Aleksandar Ćirković's stoppage-time effort was saved by Vutsov, and Imaz was cautioned in added time — but the equaliser never came. The final numbers showed how fine the margins were: Levski edged shots 13-10 and efforts on target 5-3, Jagiellonia had slightly more of the ball, and there were no red cards and no penalties, three bookings apiece. The win sits in a busy early Thursday slot that also included Crystal Palace against Hoffenheim and Benfica's earlier 4-1 win over Celtic in this competition.
So what: Levski build momentum, Jagiellonia pay for caution
Back-to-back Europa League wins — away to Plzeň and now at home to Jagiellonia — transform Levski's league-phase outlook. A side that might have feared being cut adrift in a 36-team table instead reaches the halfway point with real momentum and a play-off place firmly within reach, built on defensive organisation and a bench that contributes: both the scorer and the creator of the winner started this match among the substitutes.
Jagiellonia will rue a game plan that kept them level for 83 minutes and gave them almost nothing to fall back on once they conceded. Three shots on target is a thin return for a side with Imaz's craft in midfield, and Sow's late introduction could not change the pattern. Siemieniec's team must find more attacking ambition in the second half of the league phase, or nights like this will keep ending the same way.
Beyond the Final Whistle: managers earn their money with substitutions, and Velázquez won this match from the bench — Kusso on, Stoyanchov on, cross, header, three points. There is something fitting about a 19-year-old substitute deciding a European night in Sofia, and something worrying for Jagiellonia about a performance that was content with 0-0 until it was too late to chase 1-1. Levski are becoming one of the league phase's quiet success stories. How far can this Levski side go in Europe this season? Let us know in the comments.
