Monaco go to Balgarska Armia Stadium in Sofia on Thursday for a first-ever Conference League meeting with CSKA Sofia, and the timing is sharp: this is matchday one, Monaco's first step into the League Phase, and their first chance to take points in Bulgaria after three previous defeats there.
The match has a clear face in Mamadou Coulibaly, who is questionable for Monaco because of a knock. He is the sort of player who can change the feel of an away night, especially with Monaco top of Ligue 1 and unbeaten in competitive games under Filipe Luis. Paris Brunner is also available because his suspension applies only to domestic action, while Takumi Minamino is still recovering from a long-term injury.
That is why the search interest sits on this fixture now. CSKA Sofia enter after losing their Europa League playoff tie to OFI Crete 5-0 on aggregate, but they have steadied themselves with seven unbeaten matches in all competitions and can make it three straight home wins on Thursday after two victories by a combined 7-2. Monaco arrived here by beating Gornik Zabrze 7-3 over two legs to reach the League Phase for the first time, and they come with the look of a side that should travel well if their recent league form carries across.
There is, though, a history that does not sit neatly with that picture. CSKA Sofia have never lost a European outing against Monaco and won both of their meetings on Bulgarian soil in the 1980s. They have also collected only one point at this level before, with a 0-0 home draw against Bodo/Glimt in September 2021, and their other two home matches in the competition ended by a single goal. Monaco, for their part, have dropped points in their last two European League Phase away matches, both in the Champions League, including the 7-1 loss at Real Madrid, and they have lost all three previous matches in Bulgaria.
That clash of records gives Thursday's opener its edge. CSKA Sofia know how to make this kind of night awkward at home, while Monaco must prove that top spot in Ligue 1 and an unbeaten run under Filipe Luis can travel into a place where they have not yet taken anything. The first answer comes at Balgarska Armia Stadium, and the broader one will come from whether Monaco can finally turn their Bulgarian record around.
