Botev Plovdiv achieved a convincing 5:2 victory in their visit to Lokomotiv Sofia in a match from the 14th round of the First League. The match was played in the capital's "Nadezhda" district, and the big hero for Plovdiv was Franklin Mascotte, who scored three goals.
The guests started brightly and took the lead in the second minute. Franklin Mascotte scored after a good combination with Mauro Rodriguez, and in the 41st minute the striker again found his way to the net and increased the "Canaries" lead. at 2:0.
Lokomotiv had several opportunities to get back into the game, but goalkeeper Naumov intervened decisively. Meanwhile, a goal by Marvin Zenger for Botev was disallowed due to offside.
In the second minute of added time in the first half, the hosts nevertheless reduced their deficit. Ante Aralitsa scored and restored the hopes of the capital team.
The “Red and Black“ started strongly after the break and at the beginning of the second half restored the tie. After a learned free kick, Spas Delev found Ivan Yordanov, who sent the ball into the goal for 2:2.
Botev's response, however, was not long in coming. In the very next attack, Mauro Rodriguez again brought Plovdiv ahead, and in the 61st minute Samuel Kalu increased the lead to 4:2 and brought the guests closer to success.
The final result was formed in the 75th minute, when Franklin Mascotte took advantage of a long pass and hesitant intervention by the Lokomotiv defense. The striker found himself alone against the goalkeeper and scored his third goal of the match, completing his hat-trick and the final 5:2.
The match was the first for Lokomotiv Sofia under the leadership of Atanas Stoilov after parting ways with Lyuboslav Penev.
After the victory, Botev Plovdiv occupies fifth place in the standings with 22 points. Lokomotiv Sofia remains in 12th position with an asset of 9 points.