- Recent form: PFC Ludogorets Razgrad have won four successive games and are unbeaten in their last five in the league
- League positions: Ludogorets are second in the Parva liga table with 56 points from 27 games while CSKA 1948 are third with 53 points from the same number of matches
- Away form: CSKA 1948 have won eight, drawn two and lost only three of their 13 away league matches.
Ludogorets and CSKA 1948 could make a modern classic
Rivalry and recent form
There is a modern rivalry developing between Ludogorets and CSKA 1948 that should see a couple of goals when they meet on Sunday with both teams in fine form. CSKA 1948 won the last clash between the teams 5-4 at home five months ago and both sides have one win each from their two most recent clashes in the Parva liga.
CSKA 1948 are on a roll with back-to-back wins coming into this match - a 2-1 away win at Spartak Varna followed by a 3-2 home victory over Lokomotiv Sofia. The home side have won two and drawn one of their last three Parva liga matches on home ground, while CSKA have won three straight on the road.
Tactical outlook
Per-Mathias Hoegmo has turned Ludogorets into a fast-paced, high-pressing team that takes the ball away from opponents and then hits them at speed in their weak spots. The wingers and advanced midfielders thrive on this style of play, but it requires a lot of fitness and intensity to maintain the pace of the game.
- CSKA 1948 won the last clash between the teams 5-4 at home five months ago and both sides have one win each from their two most recent clashes in the Parva liga.
- CSKA 1948 are on a roll with back-to-back wins coming into this match - a 2-1 away win at Spartak Varna followed by a 3-2 home victory over Lokomotiv Sofia.
- The home side have won two and drawn one of their last three Parva liga matches on home ground, while CSKA have won three straight on the road.
Hoegmo has made Ludogorets a high-tempo team
Atanas Bornosuzov’s men have retained a more compact and measured structure and are much less willing to take risks or over-exert themselves in the heat of battle. They prefer to defend deep and in numbers, then hit on the counter through the center of the field.
So this could be an end-to-end contest that tests CSKA 1948’s discipline to the limit while their counter-attacking play could create plenty of chances at the other end. Ludogorets average 1.92 goals per game at home in the domestic campaign while conceding an average of just 0.69, but CSKA concede only 0.85 per away match in the same league.
Therefore, we believe Ludogorets should have enough to take the win in what should be a high-scoring game.
The odds for a home win are very short at 1.45 but we are taking it as a small bet because we believe CSKA’s counter-attacking threat should see both teams score. Over 2.5 goals at 1.63 and Both Teams to Score - Yes at 1.76 are also taken.
