This Thursday, one of the key matches of Matchday 3 in the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League group stage takes place at the Stade de Suisse in Bern, where Swiss club Young Boys will face Bulgarian champions Ludogorets. Here’s a look at what to expect from this matchup.
Match preview
Young Boys quickly recovered from a tough start, suffering a heavy loss at home to Panathinaikos. In their next game, they secured an impressive away win, showing balanced attacking and improved defense.
Despite this improvement, defensive issues remain—Young Boys have conceded goals in six straight home matches in the Europa League. At home, they are aggressive, as seen in their last 14 home games, which have all ended with a decisive result, highlighting both their determination and inconsistency.
Ludogorets began their campaign with a strong victory against Malmö but then fell short against Betis. The Bulgarian team has had moments of inconsistency, particularly in scoring, with six of their last 12 Europa League games ending without a goal.
Nevertheless, Ludogorets usually performs well away from home, having avoided defeat in six of their last eight road matches in this competition. Their tendency to trade goals keeps them a challenging opponent, especially against a Young Boys team that often struggles defensively at home.
Probable lineups
- Young Boys: Keller, Benito, Hadjam, Lauper, Janko, Fernandes, Raveloson, Males, Monteiro, Gigovic, Bedja
- Ludogorets: Padt, Son, Almeida, Kurtulus, Nedyalkov, Naressi, Stanic, Kaloch, Bille, Vidal, Markus
Match facts and head-to-head
- Young Boys haven’t drawn a home game in the Europa League for 14 matches
- Both teams have scored in five of Ludogorets’ last seven Europa League matches
- Young Boys have conceded at least two goals in six of their last eight home Europa League games
Prediction
The Swiss team is usually strong at home but often gives opponents too many chances to score. Ludogorets is in a good position to take advantage of this, given their solid away record and capability to handle pressure.