Levski extend perfect start with victory at Botev
Levski Sofia moved clear at the top of the First League with a 3-1 win over Botev Plovdiv on Saturday afternoon. The visitors completed their seventh fixture without dropping a point, while Botev's run of poor starts continued at the Христо Ботев stadium.
Marko Grujić opened the scoring in the 51st minute, giving Levski the advantage they would never surrender. Aldair doubled the lead five minutes later, and Asen Chandarov pulled one back for the hosts before Reinaldo sealed the result late on.
By then Levski had already controlled the tempo. They registered 155 attacks against Botev's 82, and their 61 per cent possession told the story of a side that never got out of second gear. Grujić came off the bench at 75 minutes to add his name to the scoresheet, and things came to a head when Reinaldo found the net in the 90th minute plus four.
And here's the thing about the statistics — Levski had only four shots on target to Botev's four, yet they scored three goals. Botev managed eight shots off target with none to show for it. The visitors picked up two bookings while the hosts collected three yellow cards between them.
Botev sit ninth with seven points from seven games, and they have now lost four of their seven matches. Their recent form reads poorly enough: defeats to Botev Враца and Лудогорец bookended a victory over Спартак Варна, and the pattern has not changed.
Levski remain unbeaten in six matches with 18 points. They lost 4-0 away at АЕК Афины on Wednesday but have won every league game they have played. The gap at the top is growing, and Botev's fans will be weighing up a move toward more stability.