FC Istiklol vs Khatlon Bokhtar Predictions

• Istiqlol won last season’s Vysshaya Liga by 15 points.
• Istiqlol have only won one of their last six league games by more than two goals.
• Khatlon have scored in three of their last four league games against Istiqlol.

Home side favourites after dominant 2019 campaign

Khatlon caused one of the biggest upsets of the season last week and the plucky Vysshaya Liga outsiders could give a decent account of themselves against Tajikistan champions Istiqlol.

A home win looks an obvious place to start given Istiqlol are the most dominant team in Tajikistan and won the league by a resounding margin of 15 points last season, so clearly bookmakers are right to believe the champions are obvious favourites.

However, with a big start on the handicap it may be worth chancing Khatlon to reproduce the kind of spirit which saw them take down Khujand last week.

Khatlon unbelievably drifted from 4-1 to 16-1 and managed to land a stunning victory, thanks in the main to a couple of first-half goals.

The visitors were seventh of eight teams last season and needed a playoff to avoid relegation but it is worth pointing out they were not quite nearly as bad as the league position suggested.

League position belies Khatlon’s competitiveness

Khatlon were just six points separated from third place in a strangely congested table and had they finished third it would have meant possible qualification to the Asian Champions League depending on events elsewhere on the continent.

So Khatlon are not whipping boys and will hope to solidify their top-flight status this time around. The early signs are good as they won 2-1 at home to Istaravshan on the opening weekend of the season and then landed three blows to Khujand in the 3-2 win.

Throw in the fact Khatlon have also scored in three of their last four matches against Istiqlol points us to the fact in the correct-score market it is worth backing them to at least notch.

However, there is an obvious difference between the teams and with home advantage it should be an Istiqlol success with a 3-1 win the preferred option after Istiqlol won three of their last four at home by a two goal margin.