Heraklion vs CSKA Sofia

OFI Crete put down a real marker at Pankritio Stadium, brushing aside CSKA Sofia 3-0 in their Europa League qualifying opener. The standout moment came from Taxiarchis Fountas, who was the difference-maker all evening and turned a tidy home win into a rout. Fountas opened the scoring in the 19th minute, finishing off a assist from Aitor Cantalapiedra, then doubled his tally from the penalty spot just after the break in the 51st minute. CSKA's night unraveled from there as the visitors picked up three yellow cards in the space of half an hour before Mohamed Amine Brahimi was sent off in the 81st minute, leaving them to see out the closing stages a man light. Lorenzo Dickmann added a fourth-minute-of-injury-time strike to put a final gloss on the scoreline. For OFI Crete, it's the ideal platform heading into the second leg, with a commanding cushion and momentum on their side. CSKA Sofia, by contrast, face an uphill battle to salvage the tie, needing to overturn a three-goal deficit while also digesting a disciplined performance undone by cards and indiscipline in Heraklion.