Italy will be looking to maintain their winning start in Group C of the European World Cup qualifiers as they face Bulgaria at the Vasil Levski Stadium. The Italians are on a lengthy unbeaten run and should make light work a poor Bulgarian side.
Italy began their campaign in the group with a win as they saw off Northern Ireland 2-0 on Thursday. First half goals from Domenico Berardi and Ciro Immobile were enough to earn them a comfortable victory.
The Azzurri have been superb under manager Roberto Mancini and Thursday’s result means they have not tasted defeat in two years, a streak spanning 23 matches. They have claimed 16 wins in that run and played out seven draws.
The Italians have also claimed some impressive wins on the road in that run, winning 1-0 against Poland and claiming another 1-0 victory in Netherlands. While they have plenty of quality in attack, their defence has also impressed with clean sheets in their last four matches.
Bulgaria are coming off a defeat as they were beaten 3-1 at home by Switzerland last time out. They made a poor start and fell three goals down before the 15th minute with Kiril Despodov's effort just after the restart proving a mere consolation.
The result means Bulgaria have now claimed just two wins in their last 23 matches across all competitions, a run stretching back to 2018. That poor run appears to have no end in sight as they have lost six of their last eight matches.
Yasen Petrov’s men have also struggled at home lately with a 3-0 win against lowly Gibraltar their only victory in five matches. They have lost the other four fixtures in that run, including a 1-0 defeat to Wales while they were also beaten 3-1 by Hungary.
How the bookies view it
Italy have been installed as overwhelming favourites by the bookies with Vbet offering a minimal 4/17 for an away win. A victory for Bulgaria is priced at 14/1 by William Hill while Sport Nation has a draw at odds of 23/4.
The Italians have momentum right now and look set to ease to a comfortable victory on Sunday.
Head to head
Italy have the advantage in this fixture with six wins from 12 previous matches. Bulgaria have claimed just two victories while the remaining four matches have ended in draws.
The Italians earned a 1-0 victory in the last meeting between both teams during the Euro 2016 qualifiers.
Players to watch
Ciro Immobile was on target in Italy’s opening game against Northern Ireland and should once again be the one to watch on Sunday. Unibet has the striker at 4/5 to score anytime while the first goal is valued at 3/1 by bet365.
Winger Kiril Despodov appears to be the biggest goal threat for Bulgaria following his goal last time out. He is priced at 8/1 by Paddy Power to get on the score sheet on Sunday while William Hill is offering 22/1 for the first goal.
Anything else catch the eye?
Italy’s fine defensive record means another clean sheet could be on the cards at 67/100 at Sporting Index. A win to nil for the visitors could also be worth a punt at 10/11 with Paddy Power while the same firm is offering 15/8 for a -2 handicap.
With the Italians likely earn a comfortable victory, backing them to win both halves also looks an attractive proposition at 71/50 with Sporting Index.
This World Cup match between Bulgaria and Italy will be played on Mar 28, 2021 and kick off at 18:45. Check below for our tipsters best Bulgaria vs Italy prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
