Botev Plovdiv secured a 2–0 victory over Botev Vratsa in the Bethub Pro Cup quarter-finals. The match was played at Hristo Botev Stadium in Plovdiv.
The Canaries delivered one of their best performances of the season so far, dominating the game and displaying plenty of creativity and variety in their attacking play.
The match began with a minute of silence in memory of the club’s president, Iliyan Filipov. Stanislav Shopov and Ehije Ukaki, both returning to the team, made their first appearances in the yellow-and-black shirt since their return. Shopov went on to claim the Man of the Match award.
After a quiet opening period, the Canaries were awarded a penalty in the 15th minute, but Georgi Milanov failed to hit the target from the spot. Just two minutes later, Carlos Meoti made an excellent run before setting up Franklin Mascote, who finished into an empty net to make it 1–0.
In the 55th minute, a beautifully constructed attack brought the crowd to its feet. Meoti, Shopov and Mascote exchanged a series of passes before Shopov got his shot away. The goalkeeper made the save, and Mascote’s follow-up was cleared off the goal line.
In the 64th minute, Mauro Rodrigues missed a golden opportunity, firing wide after finding himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Five minutes later, Carlos Meoti showcased his quality with a superb finish into the far corner, leaving Orlinov with no chance and making it 2–0.
In the 78th minute, Daniel Naumov, making his 50th appearance for Botev Plovdiv, produced a good save to keep out a long-range effort from Daniel Genov.
Botev Plovdiv: 29. Daniel Naumov, 11. Stanislav Shopov, 14. Carlos Algarra, 15. Bogdan Kostov, 17. Georgi Milanov, 20. Timothy Awany, 22. Marvin Senger, 30. Franklin Mascote, 44. Ehije Ukaki, 66. Carlos Meotti, 88. Chimezie Williams.
