Botev (Plovdiv) qualified for the final of the Bulgarian Cup after another victory over CSKA. At the packed Hristo Botev Stadium, the “Canaries” triumphed 2:0 in the second leg and with a total score of 3:0 from the two matches, they move forward to the battle for the trophy.
The meeting also marked almost exactly one year since Botev’s return to “College”, as there were nearly 19,000 people in the stands. Before the start of the match, DJ Vasco C specially took care of the mood of the people in the stands, and the program also included a show with bagpipes and drums, as well as a special certificate for the admission of Botev (Plovdiv) to the Pioneer Club – an organization that gathers the oldest football clubs in the world. The evening was also more special for the team’s coach, Dusan Kerkez, who celebrated his 48th birthday.
Cheered on by the full stands, the Canaries started strongly and took the lead after just 5′. A perfect attack by Botev allowed Ivelin Popov to break away to the opponent’s penalty area and with a diagonal shot from the border, the captain of the “yellow and black” parried Gustavo Busato.
Minutes later, Botev’s playmaker came close to an assist as well, as a perfect pass from him was about to put Martin Sekulic alone in front of the goalkeeper. However, Brian Cordoba’s last-minute split prevented the striker from breaking away.
CSKA picked up the pace after 30′, as Hidayet Hankic had to show his exceptional class on several occasions. Between 37′ and 39′ the goalkeeper of the “canaries” accounted for three amazing interventions to preserve Botev’s lead. Until the end of the first part, the “reds” continued with the attempts, but Hankic was still flawless.
At the start of the second half, Botev’s goalkeeper was again the main actor and saved a shot from Tobias Heinz.
In 51′, Botev had a good chance to double his lead, but Kostas Balogiannis’ shot was deflected by Busato.
58′ after the start of the match, Botev hit the crossbar. Antonio Perera’s header from a corner hit the crossbar.
In 68′, all eyes were on Hankic again. The guard came out fearlessly to intercept a pass to Danilo Asprilla, who would have otherwise broken away alone against him. The two clashed heavily, but eventually continued the meeting.
The final 20′ passed under the dictation of Botev. In 73′, Ehije Ukaki, who appeared from the bench, found himself alone against the goalkeeper after a masterful pass by Ume Emmanuel, but he was unable to score.
In the 79th minute, the Nigerian in turn made a serious miss and the result remained only 1:0 for Botev.
However, the pressure of the “canaries” gave a result in the 81′. A perfectly executed counterattack ended with substitute Dylan Mertens’ strike from the edge of the penalty area. The precise execution of the Dutchman on the ground left Busato helpless for the final 2:0 for Botev.
Thus, the “canaries” eliminated CSKA after 1:0 in Sofia and 2:0 in the second leg in Plovdiv. In the final on May 15 at the Vasil Levski National Stadium, Botev will meet the winner of the other semi-final between Ludogorets and Hebar, as the Razgrad team won the first match and have 4 goals avance.
