Arda Kardzhali beat Botev Vratsa 2:0 in the Regular Season, round seven of the First League. The match took place at Arda Arena on 31 August 2026, and the hosts took all three points after a controlled performance. Dominiсk Yankov opened the scoring in the sixty-first minute, while Aleksandar Vutov added a penalty in the eighty-fifth to settle the evening.
The first goal came from a well-worked move that found Yankov in space. He finished cleanly, and the home side had the momentum from that point. To be fair, Botev had shown resilience in their opening fixtures, but they could not contain Arda's attack once the Bulgarian forward got going.
The second goal arrived from the spot after a decision in the penalty area. Vutov stepped up and converted, extending the lead to two. By then the game was effectively over, though the visitors continued to play without changing their approach. The yellow cards for Goranov, Smolenski, and Borukov told a different story about Botev's frustration.
Both managers made several changes in the second half, with Arda bringing on Kichukov, Gallegos, and Hadji among others. The visitors also shuffled their lines, bringing on Ivanov and Karagaren in search of something different. These substitutions did not shift the balance, but they showed the coaches were still looking for solutions.
Arda registered 134 attacks and 11 shots on target, while Botev managed 119 attacks and five attempts on goal. The hosts held 54 per cent possession and won the corners battle 3-8, which tells you the visitors spent more time in the final third without creating clear chances. Shots off target were four for Arda and seven for Botev — the numbers suggest the away side had more attempts but lacked precision.
The result moves Arda to fourteenth points from seven games, keeping them in the upper half of the table. Botev remain tenth with five points after seven matches, and the gap between them and the top half is now clear. The hosts extended an unbeaten run that includes wins against Lokomotiv Plovdiv and Lokomotiv Sofia, while the visitors have lost four of their last five league fixtures.
