On Thursday evening, from 19:45, Bulgaria and Ireland duel in Sofia in the first stage of the UEFA Nations League groups. The two are part of the 4th group of League B and will fight for promotion to League A, against Wales and Finland. Fire matches are announced here!
With only one goal scored in its last 5 matches and only two victories in the last 15 games, the Bulgarians are in an endless reconstruction. Our neighbors have not beaten Ireland in 5 direct matches so far and have always been dominated in this duel, receiving the first goal in 6 of the previous 8 games. And this time, Ireland’s lot seems to be superior in value.
Bulgaria were unbeaten at home in the three matches played in the last edition of the UEFA Nations League, but failed to score before the break in any of these matches. Since the withdrawal of Dimitar Berbatov, the Bulgarians have not found a really valuable striker, and in this game they will have great difficulties in finding spaces among the opposing defenders. However, statistics tell us that Bulgaria have not lost at home in the last four direct matches, against Ireland, which should give courage to the hosts. Otherwise, Ireland is in very good shape.
With only two defeats in the last 15 games, the white-greens have paid tribute to a series of modest results in the previous edition of the Nations League: only two points in four matches and relegation to the lower echelon could not be avoided. Thus, Ireland comes after 0-0 with Georgia and Denmark, a 0-2 with Switzerland and a 3-1 in the friendly with New Zealand.
Bulgaria have lost three of their last four matches to zero: England (0-6), Paraguay (0-1) and Belarus (0-1). Dimitar Iliev is the most interesting offensive player in the Bulgarian camp, but it’s hard to believe that we will see a spectacular match: in 8 of the last 11 games of Ireland he went 0-0 at the break! It is interesting, however, that they scored both teams in each of the previous four direct duels, given that three of them ended 1-1.
Bulgaria: Georgiev; Cicinho, Zanev, Dimitrov, Nedyalkov; K. Malinov, Kostadinov; Nedelev, Iliev, Ivanov; Isa
Coach: Georgi Dermendzhiev
Ireland: Randolph; Doherty, Egan, Duffy, Stevens; Hourihane, McCarthy; Robinson, Hendrick, McClean; Connolly
Coach: Stephen Kenny
Three of the last four direct duels ended in a draw, with the same score, 1-1;
They scored under 2.5 goals in 4 of the last 5 direct duels between the two countries;
He scored at most one of the teams in the last 5 games played by Bulgaria;
Ireland has only one failure in the last five matches;
PREDICTION: Over 1,5 goals @ 1,50
