- Lokomotiv Plovdiv’s recent record in Parva Liga is 9 wins, 4 draws and 4 defeats from 17 home games.
- Lokomotiv Plovdiv have failed to win 8 of their last 17 Parva Liga home games.
- Botev Plovdiv’s away record in the Parva Liga is 7 wins, 3 draws and 7 losses from 17.
Plovdiv derby looks a good game
The PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1936 vs PFC Botev Plovdiv 1912 preview shows that Lokomotiv and Botev are very evenly matched and both teams are coming into this Plovdiv derby with mixed form.
Lokomotiv have lost three games in a row in all competitions and only won two of their previous five coming into this game, including a 4-0 thrashing at Arda Kardzhali and a penalty kick shootout loss to CSKA Sofia in the Bulgarian Cup. Dusan Kosic’s side are a solid, disciplined and well-organised team that doesn’t take any risks, playing a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 system.
They are very effective at getting numbers in the box, from set-pieces and counter-attacks, but aren’t a possession or high-pressing team. Kosic’s rigidity and insistence on his players working hard and staying compact, means Lokomotiv are a very tough team to break down - even in the big games like this derby.
Lokomotiv sit second in Parva Liga with 52 points from 35 games, their consistency at the top end of the table separating them from Botev who are fourth with 46. The home side will be desperate to build on their recent 2-0 away win over Botev in the league that gave them the bragging rights and kept them firmly in the race for a European spot according to our PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1936 vs PFC Botev Plovdiv 1912 prediction.
Botev have more ambition and creativity
Botev, under the relatively new stewardship of Lachezar Baltanov, have been playing with more ambition and their football has been much more creative of late. In their last five games, they have scored seven goals with 3 assists coming from Argentine playmaker Carlos Meotti, while Lokomotiv's Joel Zwarts has scored three of his side’s five goals, highlighting what the PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1936 vs PFC Botev Plovdiv 1912 prediction suggests about the impact of star players.
Botev will come at Lokomotiv and create chances, but they will also get caught out at the back, as they did in their 2-1 home defeat to Arda Kardzhali, despite a 5-0 home win over Cherno More Varna.
Botev have played 17 away games in the regular season, averaging 1.41 goals scored and 1.18 conceded. They will surely play on the front foot, but Baltanov’s men do not possess the defensive discipline of Lokomotiv, who only concede an average 0.94 goals per home game in the league.
Expect a cagey, low-scoring derby
Backing the under 2.5 goals at 1.74 looks the way to go here, as this will probably be a cagey, tense derby with Botev only just the favorites with the bookmakers at 2.09. Lokomotiv are available at 3.66 for the home win - which is also a bit big as they have lost four of their 17 home Parva Liga games, a statistic relevant for the PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1936 vs PFC Botev Plovdiv 1912 prediction.
Lokomotiv are the type of team who can make any game difficult and can lock down an opponent with their compact 4-2-3-1 system while hitting their opposition with counter-attacks or set-pieces.
Botev are a more adventurous team and they have more of the quality and experience in the forward areas with the likes of Carlos Meotti for Botev and Joel Zwarts for Lokomotiv having the quality to unlock the game and play the smart passes to each other’s feet.
The last five Plovdiv derbies have resulted in one win each and three draws, which indicates how closely matched the teams are. The PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv 1936 vs PFC Botev Plovdiv 1912 betting tips suggest this will be a close game, but Lokomotiv’s organisation and Botev’s high-octane, possession-based game may come down to who best manages the transitions.
