Northern Ireland Look to Build on Winning Start Against Bulgaria
Northern Ireland defender Paddy McNair says the team is determined to follow up their winning start in the Nations League with another good display against Bulgaria. McNair, who can also play in midfield, scored in Thursday night's 2-0 victory over Luxembourg at Windsor Park. Michael O'Neill's side now travel to take on Bulgaria in Sunday evening's encounter in Plovdiv.
"It was a perfect night against Luxembourg and it was important to get the campaign off to a good start - we got a clean sheet and a very good three points," said the 29-year-old. "Away matches are always harder but I think the group is full of confidence and hopefully we can come out with three points."
Northern Ireland are the early pacesetters in League C Group 3 after a goalless draw between Belarus and Bulgaria three days ago.
Northern Ireland's Recent Success
Northern Ireland have had a good last couple of international breaks, appearing to find something again under Michael O'Neill. They finished Euro 2024 qualifying with a win over Denmark, before drawing in Romania and beating Scotland in March. Defeat by Spain in June followed, but they bounced back with a win over Andorra, and they started their Nations League campaign with a win over Luxembourg.
That is a solid book of form, and they've deserved most of those results. They are a side in transition as their elder statesmen begin to bow out and there are a number of exciting young talents in the squad. Five of their starters against Luxembourg last time out were 22 or younger, headlined by Liverpool’s Conor Bradley. He scored twice against Andorra and may be expected to step up now that Jonny Evans has retired from international football.
Bulgaria's Recent Struggles
Bulgaria haven't lost in seven internationals, but they have only won once - against 113th ranked Tanzania - with those six draws the main reason I'm erring on the side of caution, happy to get my stake back if this game ends level. What I will say of Bulgaria's recent run is that they've struggled to score goals (three in five internationals in 2024), but have been solid defensively (two conceded), so this could be a game of few chances.
Bulgaria have only won one of their last 16 games and finished bottom of their Euro 2024 qualifying group, behind Lithuania, Montenegro, Serbia and Hungary. Twelve of the hosts’ last 16 games have gone under 2.5 goals and the visitors are hardly the most prolific scorers, netting nine times in their last eight outings.
Key Players and Lineups
Northern Ireland
- Josh Magennis replaced Dion Charles at half-time last time out and will be pushing to start. Michael O'Neill may choose to rotate a few.
- Conor Bradley is a key player for Northern Ireland, and his pace and attacking threat will be a danger to Bulgaria.
Bulgaria
- Filip Krastev is suspended after being sent off against Belarus on Thursday.
- Kiril Despodov is the talismanic captain for Bulgaria and their main attacking threat.
Possible Starting Lineups:
- Bulgaria (4-2-3-1): Mitov; Popov, Petkov, Atanasov, Nurnberger; Gruev, Antov; Despodov, Minchev, Kirilov; Kolev
- Northern Ireland (3-4-3): Peacock-Farrell; McNair, Ballard, Brown; Bradley, Saville, Charles, Hume; McCausland, Magennis, Marshall
Betting Odds and Predictions
The oddsmakers have Northern Ireland as the slight favorites in this match. Don’t expect a thriller in this game. The draw no bet market seems to be a good option for this match.
- Northern Ireland to win Draw no Bet (11/10)
Conclusion: Northern Ireland's Momentum Could Prove Too Much for Bulgaria
While Bulgaria have shown resilience in recent matches, their inability to secure a victory against weaker opposition makes them a risky proposition against a Northern Ireland team who are on a positive run. Northern Ireland's momentum, coupled with their young and exciting attacking players, could prove too much for Bulgaria to handle. Expect a close, low-scoring match, but Northern Ireland should be able to secure a victory and keep their winning momentum going in the Nations League.
