Expect a fierce battle in the Bulgaria First League on 23.08.2026 when Lokomotiv Plovdiv competes against Arda Kardzhali. Our prediction dives deep into their strategies, form, and historical performances in the Bulgaria First League. Whether you're rooting for Lokomotiv Plovdiv or Arda Kardzhali, our expert analysis will help you decide where to place your bet.
Standings of both teams
| № | Team | Played | Win | Draw | Loss | GF/GA | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Levski Sofia | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9/2 | 12 |
| 5 | Arda Kardzhali | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8/4 | 10 |
| 6 | Spartak Varna | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8/6 | 7 |
| 9 | Septemvri Sofia | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3/9 | 4 |
| 10 | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3/7 | 3 |
| 11 | Dunav Ruse | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4/9 | 3 |
Key Player Statistics: Lokomotiv Plovdiv vs Arda Kardzhali
x 9 x 8
x 2 x 6 x 1 x 7 x 1 x 6Lokomotiv Plovdiv vs Arda Kardzhali Historical Match Results
| League | Home | Away | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friendlies Clubs | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Arda Kardzhali | 04.07.2026 | 2-0 |
| First League | Arda Kardzhali | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 16.05.2026 | 4-0 |
| First League | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Arda Kardzhali | 08.05.2026 | 2-0 |
| Cup | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Arda Kardzhali | 30.04.2026 | 1-1 |
| Cup | Arda Kardzhali | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 22.04.2026 | 0-4 |
| First League | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Arda Kardzhali | 06.12.2025 | 0-2 |
| First League | Arda Kardzhali | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 11.08.2025 | 0-0 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Arda Kardzhali | 05.07.2025 | 2-2 |
| First League | Arda Kardzhali | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 23.11.2024 | 4-2 |
| First League | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Arda Kardzhali | 20.07.2024 | 1-0 |
| League | Home | Away | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First League | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Dunav Ruse | 16.08.2026 | 1-2 |
| First League | Levski Sofia | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 07.08.2026 | 2-0 |
| First League | Spartak Varna | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 03.08.2026 | 1-0 |
| First League | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Septemvri Sofia | 26.07.2026 | 2-1 |
| First League | Ludogorets | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 18.07.2026 | 1-0 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Rilski Sportist | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 08.07.2026 | 0-2 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Arda Kardzhali | 04.07.2026 | 2-0 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Kolos Kovalivka | 31.01.2026 | 0-0 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Asia Talas | 27.01.2026 | 1-0 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Napredak | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | 22.01.2026 | 0-1 |
| League | Home | Away | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First League | Arda Kardzhali | Lokomotiv Sofia | 17.08.2026 | 3-1 |
| First League | Dunav Ruse | Arda Kardzhali | 08.08.2026 | 0-2 |
| First League | CSKA 1948 | Arda Kardzhali | 31.07.2026 | 2-1 |
| First League | Arda Kardzhali | Slavia Sofia | 24.07.2026 | 1-0 |
| First League | Septemvri Sofia | Arda Kardzhali | 18.07.2026 | 1-1 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Botev Vratsa | Arda Kardzhali | 10.07.2026 | 1-0 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Arda Kardzhali | Beitar Jerusalem | 07.07.2026 | 0-0 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Lokomotiv Plovdiv | Arda Kardzhali | 04.07.2026 | 2-0 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Rilski Sportist | Arda Kardzhali | 01.07.2026 | 0-2 |
| Friendlies Clubs | Botev Plovdiv | Arda Kardzhali | 26.06.2026 | 2-1 |
Comparative Team Statistics: Lokomotiv Plovdiv VS Arda Kardzhali
Last 20 Matches Statistics: Lokomotiv Plovdiv vs Arda Kardzhali
Bookies' predictions
Lokomotiv Plovdiv
Betting Intelligence: Lokomotiv Plovdiv vs Arda Kardzhali
There's something brewing in Bulgarian football, and this fixture might just be the most unpredictable clash of the weekend. Lokomotiv Plovdiv host Arda Kardzhali in a Bulgaria First League showdown where both sides desperately need points — but for very different reasons.
Lokomotiv sit ninth with just 3 points from four games. They've scored only twice and conceded five. That's a side struggling to find its rhythm early in the season.
Arda, meanwhile, sit sixth with a much healthier 7 points and a positive goal difference of plus two. They look sharper, more clinical, and frankly more dangerous right now.
Here's what you need to watch for — the head-to-head record tells a fascinating story. When Arda travel to Plovdiv, things get complicated. Lokomotiv have won their last three home league meetings against Arda, including a 2-0 win as recently as May 2026. But just two weeks later, Arda demolished them 4-0 at home. That swing in just a fortnight is genuinely wild.
Don't be fooled by the mainstream narrative about home advantage here. Lokomotiv's current form is genuinely worrying. Three straight First League defeats — to Dunav Ruse, Levski Sofia, and Spartak Varna — with not a single goal scored in those losses. Their only win came against Septemvri Sofia back in late July. That's thin confidence to build on.
The disciplinary angle is one most casual fans will completely miss. Arda's David Akintola Idowu carries two red cards in his history, and D. Velkovski has one too. With Lokomotiv already struggling and likely to press high in desperation, this game could get feisty fast. The card market looks genuinely interesting here — Arda's players have a habit of walking the line.
Tactically, keep your eye on Arda's L. Kotev. Four assists and seven yellows in 34 appearances tells you exactly what kind of player he is — influential, aggressive, and central to everything Arda do going forward. If he's on form, Lokomotiv's creative duo of Lamy and Umarbayev will need to respond quickly.
The odds have Arda as slight favourites at 2.45, with both the home win and draw priced identically at 2.80. That symmetry screams value on Arda. I'd back them to win, and given the attacking patterns in this rivalry, over 2.5 goals looks well worth considering. My bold prediction? Kotev gets booked and Arda grab a 2-1 away win with a goal in the second half sealing it.
Sunday football in Bulgaria doesn't always make the headlines. But this one? It genuinely should. Don't miss it.
What's Your Pick?
Where to Bet on Lokomotiv Plovdiv vs Arda Kardzhali
Our Lokomotiv Plovdiv vs Arda Kardzhali betting prediction
Team Lineups and Player Details:
| Name | Country | Age | Position | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D. Iliev | Bulgaria | 37 | Attacker | 185 | 82 |
| P. Umarbayev | Tajikistan | 31 | Midfielder | 170 | 62 |
| C. Itu | Romania | 26 | Midfielder | n/a | n/a |
| B. Milosavljevic | Switzerland | 28 | Goalkeeper | 188 | 90 |
| J. Lamy | France | 26 | Midfielder | 185 | 78 |
| M. Ruskov | Bulgaria | 24 | Defender | n/a | n/a |
| M. Atanasov | Bulgaria | 24 | Midfielder | n/a | n/a |
| Adrián Cova | Venezuela | 25 | Defender | 180 | n/a |
| I. Ivanov | Bulgaria | 23 | Midfielder | n/a | n/a |
| J. Perea | Colombia | 27 | Attacker | 190 | 82 |
| Lucas Ryan | Brazil | 24 | Defender | 185 | 87 |
| T. Pavlov | Bulgaria | 22 | Defender | n/a | n/a |
| P. Andreev | Bulgaria | 22 | Attacker | n/a | n/a |
| E. Espinoza | Argentina | 25 | Defender | n/a | n/a |
| G. Politino | Argentina | 27 | Midfielder | n/a | n/a |
| A. Velev | Bulgaria | 19 | Midfielder | n/a | n/a |
| M. Salim | Bulgaria | 18 | Defender | n/a | n/a |
| E. Ali | n/a | Midfielder | n/a | n/a | |
| I. Ivanov | n/a | Midfielder | n/a | n/a | |
| I. Markov | n/a | Attacker | n/a | n/a |
| Name | Country | Age | Position | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Gospodinov | Bulgaria | 32 | Goalkeeper | 186 | n/a |
| V. Velev | Ukraine | 26 | Defender | 179 | 68 |
| F. Eboa Eboa | Cameroon | 29 | Defender | 186 | 80 |
| C. Hüseynov | Azerbaijan | 23 | Defender | 183 | n/a |
| D. Velkovski | Bulgaria | 31 | Defender | 185 | 68 |
| David Akintola Idowu | Nigeria | 26 | Midfielder | n/a | n/a |
| L. Kotev | Bulgaria | 28 | Midfielder | 185 | 75 |
| S. Kovachev | Bulgaria | 28 | Midfielder | 175 | 67 |
| S. Yusein | Bulgaria | 30 | Midfielder | n/a | n/a |
| B. Karagaren | Bulgaria | 33 | Midfielder | n/a | n/a |
| K. Nikolov | Bulgaria | 22 | Attacker | n/a | n/a |
| Andre Shinyashiki | Brazil | 29 | Attacker | 176 | 69 |
| A. Vutov | Bulgaria | 30 | Midfielder | 178 | n/a |
| Patrick Luan | Brazil | 27 | Attacker | 179 | 78 |
| Isnaba Mané | Portugal | 22 | Attacker | 177 | 73 |
| E. Viyachki | Bulgaria | 36 | Defender | n/a | n/a |
| M. Yusuf | Bulgaria | 34 | Goalkeeper | n/a | n/a |
| Cascardo | Brazil | 29 | Defender | 174 | 66 |
| B. Akandzha | Bulgaria | 18 | Midfielder | n/a | n/a |
| I. Tilev | Bulgaria | 27 | Attacker | n/a | n/a |
Lokomotiv Plovdiv vs Arda Kardzhali match odds
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