Cherno More
- Iliev's side, which usually play in a 4-2-3-1, are a little more reliable at home, where they have won two, drawn none and lost once, while Hadzievski's men are more direct and play either a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-1-4-1, preferring to overload the half-spaces and attack with width and speed.
- Cherno More's last league game ended 1-1 away at Botev Vratsa, while Spartak drew 2-2 at home to CSKA 1948, but they had just come off a 3-0 home win against Lokomotiv Sofia and a 2-0 away win against Montana 1921 in the Parva Liga - Relegation Group 2026.
- Cherno More are a well-drilled outfit who have been under the management of Ilian Iliev since December 2017, which gives them a strong and consistent identity, while Gjokica Hadzievski, who took over at Spartak in July 2025, has made his side sharper in transition and more aggressive in phases.
Spartak Varna
Spartak Varna are in better form than Cherno More coming into this, with three wins, one draw and one defeat in their last five games in all competitions.
Head-to-Head
- Cherno More have won three of the last five head-to-heads, which Spartak have not.
- The side that controls the midfield will most likely rule the derby, but the last head-to-head result, a 0-0 draw at Cherno More in the Parva Liga 2025/2026, showed how tight the game could be.
Betting Insights
- Cherno More are the odds-on favorites at 1.73, Spartak are 5.02 and the draw is 3.38.
- Cherno More have the most to gain, but we can't ignore the form of the visitors and there is some value in taking an 'unders' bet, so Under 2.5 goals at 1.66 looks a better fit for this cagey derby than a shootout, with the likeliest script a narrow Cherno More edge or another draw.
Prediction
The game will be a matchup between a controlled build-up and counter-press from Cherno More and a faster, more vertical approach from Spartak .
