- CSKA Sofia are 3rd and unbeaten in Parva Liga 2026/2027 after 4 games (W3, D1).
- Botev Vratsa are 12th in Parva Liga 2026/2027 with 1 point from 3 matches.
- CSKA Sofia have won 3 of the last 5 head-to-head meetings (D2, L0).
A home win is a must for CSKA on Sunday
The form book and recent head-to-head suggest CSKA Sofia should have more than enough to beat PFK Botev Vratsa at Bulgarska Armiya on Sunday, and the odds of 1.35 on the hosts looks about right. For this preview, the visitors are big underdogs at 9.5, and while there is value in that, a straightforward win for CSKA is the main selection here.
Botev's form has been mixed since the start of the campaign, but the trend has turned sour with 2 straight defeats. Their most recent 2 games have been tough games against CSKA 1948 and Ludogorets in the Parva Liga 2026/2027, but they fell 2-1 on both occasions and were unable to take anything from either fixture.
This is the 4th fixture day of the Parva Liga campaign and Botev are already 12th in the standings with just 1 point from a possible 9. CSKA, on the other hand, are soaring in 3rd with 10 points from a possible 12 (W3, D1).
CSKA are the dominant force in this fixture
CSKA have won 3 of the last 5 meetings between these two sides (D2, L0), and the most recent clash between the teams 5 months ago in the closing stages of Parva Liga 2025/2026 finished 1-0 to the home side.
CSKA's last 3 matches have been a 2-1 home victory over FC Dunav Ruse in the league, a 3-0 away blowout of Maccabi Tel-Aviv in UEFA Europa League Qualification 2026 and a 3-0 win over Septemvri Sofia in the next Parva Liga 2026/2027 round. Hristo Yanev's side are pressing high, playing on the front foot and transitioning fast with their overlapping full-backs getting forward to good effect.
Todor Simov has set his Botev Vratsa side up to be much more compact and pragmatic this season, and the visitors will look to sit in a low block and try to get at CSKA from set-piece or counter-attacking opportunities on the break. This PFC CSKA Sofia vs PFK Botev Vratsa prediction points to the hosts controlling the match from start to finish.
CSKA to take the points, but Botev can keep it tight
Botev have made a winless start on the road in the new Parva Liga 2026/2027 season, losing both of their games so far and scoring just twice in the process. CSKA have won both of their home fixtures so far and are averaging 2.5 goals per game.
CSKA's form, home advantage and dominance in this fixture suggest a convincing home win, but we're keeping Botev in the contest early on as their compact shape should keep things relatively tight. CSKA have won their last 5 matches in a row, so that's screaming momentum and there's a chance the floodgates could open once they get the lead on Sunday. As such, both teams to score: No looks the sharp angle at around the 1.53 mark, and the hosts are backed in the betting tips.
Martin Petkov has been Botev's spark recently with 3 of their 8 goals across the last 5 matches. CSKA will try to keep him quiet to win this one. Another reason to expect CSKA to come out on top is that their attacking quality should be enough to decide it.
