- Head-to-head: The last H2H match finished 0-0 in the Parva Liga four months ago.
- Team form: Botev Vratsa have won three consecutive league games ahead of this matchup (W3, D2, L0).
- Home form: Botev Vratsa are unbeaten in five home matches across all competitions (W4, D1).
A clash of styles at Hristo Botev
Form and recent results
PFK Botev Vratsa head into this game off the back of a three-game winning streak after recording 1-0, 2-1 and 3-0 victories over PFC Montana 1921, Dobrudzha Dobrich and Beroe Stara Zagora respectively, while PFC Cherno More Varna head into this one winless in their last two following a 5-0 defeat to Botev Plovdiv and a 3-2 loss to Arda Kardzhali.
Prediction
The hosts have a slight edge in recent form and the last head-to-head meetings lean towards Cherno More 3-1 with 1 draw, so they will be confident of nabbing the win here. However, the pricing is tight and the visitors have been wobbling in the recent past, so the draw looks live and under 2.5 goals is the best bet for this clash.
Botev Vratsa have the structure to outlast the visitors
Home strengths
Todor Simov's side are well organised and patient on the ball, while their possession-based approach, which focuses on control rather than chaos, should see them through to the final whistle if they can maintain their current rhythm.
- The home side are unbeaten in their last five across all competitions (W4, D1) and have conceded just 0.80 goals per match at home, while they've scored 2.00 goals per game on average in their five home games to date.
- Mitchy Ntelo is Botev's most reliable finisher at the moment with four of their nine goals coming from his boot in their current five-game unbeaten run.
Visitors' approach
Ilian Iliev's men are equally well organised, with Cherno More playing with a 4-2-3-1 setup and plenty of intensity. They're a pressing team, who like to get compact to force turnovers and then look to transition quickly, but they've been wobbling of late.
A closely fought matchup in Vratza
The Varna-based side have lost five of their last 10 in all competitions (W3, D2, L5) and have won just one of their five most recent away games. The only thing keeping them alive has been Asen Donchev's finishing, with three of his team's six goals in their recent five-game run scored by him.
Botev Vratsa are undoubtedly in their stride and the recent head-to-head suggests they should be able to hold Cherno More to a draw in this one, as that's what happened the last time the clubs met. The home team have averaged 1.5 goals across those five games while Cherno More have averaged the same figure as the travelling team, which suggests this will be a balanced and closely-fought encounter.
