- The home team Botev Plovdiv have won four and drawn one of their last five competitive games, drawing with Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1-1.
- Lokomotiv Plovdiv have won one and drawn three of their last five contests in all competitions, including a 0-5 defeat to CSKA 1948.
Botev back in the playoff race
Botev and Lokomotiv both have playoff implications and will be desperate for the three points when they meet in Sunday’s Plovdiv derby at Stadion Hristo Botev. The PFC Botev Plovdiv 1912 vs PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1936 preview highlights the intensity and stakes of this rivalry.
The home side have been in fine form since caretaker coach Lachezar Baltanov took over and have pushed their way back to form.
Baltanov’s men have won four and drawn one of their five games under his leadership, including a 5-0 win over Spartak Varna and that 1-1 away draw at Lokomotiv.
This run is important for our PFC Botev Plovdiv 1912 vs PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1936 prediction and suggests Botev have the momentum going into this clash.
Botev have been playing with real forward initiative, width, movement and pressing in the final third to force the opposition into mistakes.
The coach's guidance has brought out their best as a unit with the midfield compact and versatile in both defense and attack.
Franklin ‘Mascote’ is their target man in attack and has scored some absolute goals since joining the club, while Nikolay Minkov has produced a number of key assists from the right.
Lokomotiv are better than Botev in the current table (fifth with 46 points to Botev’s eighth place on 40) and play a totally different style of football.
Dušan Kosić’s team have a very structured, compact and disciplined approach to games and are very pragmatic, preferring to keep the ball out of their own goal and hit on the counter.
Juan Perea is their tall target man while Parvizdzhon Umarbayev, who has one of the best assist records in the league, is their creative engine in midfield.
But there are doubts about the fitness of the creative midfielder for this derby, which will be spicy enough with the memories of the abandoned game and the fact that Lokomotiv beat Botev in the Cup last time out. The implications of these factors play a key role in the PFC Botev Plovdiv 1912 vs PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1936 prediction for this tense encounter.
Kosić’s side were well beaten 5-0 by CSKA 1948 last time out and it is clear that the Lokomotiv defence is weak, especially in the absence of central defender Martin Ruskov, who is out for a long time.
Umarbayev is a doubt and a few players are on one booking away from suspension, so this clash will not be easy for them.
This match will be a battle between possession and structure and it is up to Botev to break through Lokomotiv’s low block with width and movement.
For those looking for analysis, the PFC Botev Plovdiv 1912 vs PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1936 betting tips reflect the importance of weather and tactical absences on the potential result.
The odds on the result are all wrong with Botev favorites at 1.94, Lokomotiv at 3.85 and the draw at 3.35.
It should be a tight game with neither team wanting to lose as there is both local pride and a playoff place on the line. One thing is certain: the PFC Botev Plovdiv 1912 vs PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1936 prediction points toward a fiercely contested battle.
The mood will be hot for this game and demand for tickets has been high with Botev fans ready to make their voices heard.
We expect a cagey, physical, game with the possibility of a one-goal result, while the cool spring weather, which could turn to rain, will make the tempo slower than normal.
So we are also backing ‘Under 2.5 goals’ at 1.71 rather than a possible Botev win, although a narrow victory for the hosts could be in the offing if either team scores a moment of brilliance.
