- Team form: CSKA Sofia are undefeated in their last two home matches (1 win and 1 draw) and have conceded just two goals in their current run of two home fixtures (W1, D1).
- Away form: Botev Plovdiv 1912 have 2 wins and 2 losses in their last four away matches (W2, L2).
- Head-to-head: CSKA Sofia have won four and drawn one of the last five head-to-head meetings.
CSKA are superior at home
Tactics and recent results
CSKA Sofia will feel the home advantage at Vasil Levski, Bulgaria, on Monday when they welcome Botev Plovdiv 1912 to town. The Reds have been superior to Botev in their recent head-to-head record, winning four of the pair's last five meetings (D1) and losing none.
Hristo Yanev has built his side around the principle that possession is power, but the wily coach has varied his tactics in recent weeks, setting his team up in a 4-1-4-1, 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 to great effect. CSKA are solid in this matchup with 5 wins, 3 draws and 2 defeats in their last 10 in all competitions and their most recent results have included a 0-0 away draw with Slavia Sofia and a 1-2 away win over Derry City in UEFA Europa League Qualification 2026.
Botev's approach
Botev are much more structured than their visitors and Stanislav Genchev's men have the pace to attack with wing-back overloads, the discipline to build a solid central block and the talent to pounce on the counter-attack. Botev's away form across their last four road games reads 2 wins and 2 defeats, but that doesn't tell the whole story as they have failed to get a result in their previous two road matches (W0, D0, L2).
Botev’s form has been patchy
Botev have won only one of their last five matches, with 4 defeats, so they are wobbling a bit while CSKA are on a good run of 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat in their last 5.
CSKA look the better of the two sides and it's no surprise that the bookmakers have them down as the favorites at 1.48, Botev are listed at 6.39! The draw sits at 4.15 and this is too tight a game to confidently go down that route so we're happy to take CSKA to nick it.
Under 2.5 goals at 2.08 and BTTS-No at 1.9 both have some merit as CSKA's superior possession play clashes with Botev's verticality and it may well come down to who dominates the middle third.
- CSKA have Ioannis Pittas as their most reliable attacking player, he has 3 goals in their last 5 and has a knack of appearing at the right time, Botev have Carlos Meotti, whose 3 assists in the last 5 games has been a constant spark for them when they've needed to make something happen.
