A contest that looks set to be tightly contested, Bulgaria face the Republic of Ireland in the 1st leg of their Nations League play-off on Thursday 20th March, an encounter that will see both teams fight for a place in Group B.
Both Bulgaria and the Republic of Ireland have been inconsistent during their matches thus far. Ireland showed their resilience by defeating Finland twice over, but were also drubbed 5-0 by England in their most recent game.
Bulgaria have experienced similar problems. A Vasil Panayotov goal was only enough for a 1-1 draw with Belarus last time out, as the team also fell to a shocking 5-0 defeat against Northern Ireland in October. The Lions finished second in Group C, but being positioned above minnows Belarus and Luxembourg was hardly cause for celebration.
Hence, with changeable form burdening both sides, it looks set to be a very entertaining contest.
How the bookies view it: Away win anticipated
Despite both teams being unable to find a good rhythm, the quality of opponent faced by the Republic of Ireland has been far stronger than Bulgaria.
With England and Greece presenting far tougher challenges than the team ranked 82nd in the world, BoyleSports are giving the Republic of Ireland 5/4 odds to secure an away victory in the first leg. On the other hand, Bulgaria have been priced at 21/10, with a draw coming in at 2/1.
Recent head-to-head: Limited encounters present
There have been few encounters between the two teams in recent seasons, with their last matches coming in the 2020 Nations League. Both matches ended in a draw, with 0-0 and 1-1 scorelines.
Former Brighton and Fulham centre-back Shane Duffy managed to grab a 93rd-minute equaliser in the latter of those two meetings, with the sides' only other encounter ending in a 3-1 win for Ireland in 2019.
Players to watch: Ferguson to capitalise on game time
It has been a tough season for Brighton loanee Evan Ferguson, who has only managed one goal in 18 Premier League appearances. Further to that, his loan switch to West Ham United has proven fruitless so far, as the Irishman has mustered just five substitute appearances since moving to the London Stadium.
However, for his nation, Ferguson has been a focal point of a lot of the good that has come out of the team. The striker scored the only goal in his side's 1-0 win over Finland in November, their last victory. Expect him to be on the scoresheet again in this two-legged fixture.
Predicted lineups
Bulgaria: Mitov, Popov, Petkov, Petrov, Nurnberger, Gruev, Panayotov, Milanov, Petkov, Kirilov, Nikolov
Republic of Ireland: Kelleher, O'Shea, O'Brien, Collins, O'Dowda, Cullen, Knight, Johnston, Azaz, Vata, Ferguson
Anything else catch the eye?
Both sides really struggle to find the net, with Bulgaria and the Republic of Ireland having managed just three goals in their previous five games. With the home team also the more resolute of the pair, BoyleSports' 6/1 odds on a 0-0 stalemate seem very enticing.
For those with less risk appetite, under 0.5 goals in the first half comes in at 11/8, which also has a very good chance of providing punters with some excellent value.
This UEFA Nations League match between Bulgaria and Ireland will be played on and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Bulgaria vs Ireland prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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