Match Report
The table gap was wide: 29 points between Rilski Sportist (1st, 80 pts) and Botev Ihtiman (4th, 51 pts). Recent form told a different story for Botev Ihtiman: only 10th in the league over the last five rounds despite sitting 4th. Against a league average of 1.4 goals per team per game, Rilski Sportist ran at 1.71 scored and 0.68 conceded, Botev Ihtiman at 1.56 and 1.18.
Botev Ihtiman had gone 5 games without a win. The five-game form split read 12/15 points for Rilski Sportist against 2/15 for Botev Ihtiman.
The sides have met 8 times in the GioScore results database: 3 wins for Rilski Sportist, 3 draws and 2 for Botev Ihtiman, at 2.75 goals per meeting. History gives the home side just 13% of the wins in this matchup. Both teams scored in 75% of the meetings. Recent meetings have been cagier — 1.8 goals per game across the last five against 2.75 historically.
The match was played at Stadion Iskar (capacity 6,800). On the scoreboard, Botev Ihtiman led 1-0 at the break; 2 second-half goals set the final 1-2.