On Wednesday, at 17:00, Botev Plovdiv will compete with concitadina Lokomotiv Plovdiv in the finals of the Bulgarian Cup. The match will take place on “Vasil Levski National Stadium” in Sofia.
Ludogorets, TSKA Sofia, Levski Sofia – eliminated. None of the bands on the podium in the hierarchy of Bulgaria’s play-off are found in the last act of the Cup. Instead, we have a duel to honor, a Plovdiv derby, between Botev and Lokomotiv. Botev ranks fifth in the playoff standings and has no chance to take a place in Europe unless it will be imposed on Wednesday evening in the grand finals against the big rivals in the city. However, we can not underestimate Lokomotiv either. For a band that has recently lost, but not called, in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League, this is a historic match, and a trophy would be the top reward.
In the last ten direct confrontations between the two bands, Lokomotiv was imposed four times, Botev in three other rows, while the other three duels ended in a draw;
We have not witnessed gaps on either side in any of the previous five direct disputes;
The last direct match took place in the regular season, when Botev scored 2-0;
Given the circumstances of this game, we expect a favorable outcome for Botev. With a higher and more difficult rhythm of last season’s dueling thanks to play-off participation, we think that Botev will not miss the chance to put his hand on the cup but also on the position that leads to Europe, and, at the same time, and value superiority.
PREDICTION: Botev Plovdiv to win @ 1,96
