Northern Ireland vs Bulgaria prediction and betting tips on October 15, 2024
Game Prediction
On October 15, 2024, Northern Ireland will face Bulgaria in the 4th round of the UEFA Nations League. A win for either team could bring them closer to securing the top spot in the group.
Northern Ireland vs Bulgaria: Key Stats and Trends
- Northern Ireland has won four of their last eight matches.
- Bulgaria is unbeaten in their last nine matches.
- Bulgaria hasn’t won any of their last nine away games.
- Northern Ireland wins the first half in 33% of matches, while Bulgaria does so in only 10%.
Our Prediction for Northern Ireland vs Bulgaria
Under Michael O'Neill, Northern Ireland reached a historic peak by qualifying for Euro 2016 and advancing to the knockout stage. However, his return to the helm hasn’t yielded significant results, with the team only managing nine points last year, two-thirds of which came from games against San Marino. Meanwhile, Bulgaria has had another disappointing run, collecting just four points, two fewer than Lithuania.
Since last year, however, Bulgaria has seen improvement under head coach Iliev. The team extended their unbeaten streak through friendly matches, and in the Nations League, they followed up a 0-0 draw against Belarus with a 1-0 home win over Northern Ireland, thanks to Kiril Despodov’s goal. On the other hand, Northern Ireland impressed with a solid victory over Luxembourg.
Northern Ireland’s squad depth is limited, especially with Jonny Evans retired and 34-year-old Corry Evans without a club. They fielded their strongest side against Belarus but could only manage a 0-0 draw. Bulgaria, dealing with several key injuries, is missing Nedyalkov, Hristov, Krastev, Gruev, Kovachev, Nedelev, Yordanov, Delev, and Petkov. This lack of depth might explain their goalless draw at home against Luxembourg.
Northern Ireland vs Bulgaria: Possible Lineups
Northern Ireland (probable): Charles – Toal, McNair, Hume – Lewis, Saville, Charles, Price, Bradley – Marshall, Reid
Bulgaria (probable): Mitov – Nurnberger, Petkov, Atanasov, Popov – Antov, Kostadinov, Krastev, Kirilov, Despodov – Kolev
Head-to-Head Matches: Northern Ireland vs Bulgaria
In this century, Bulgaria has won five out of six encounters, with one match ending in a draw.
Free Prediction for Northern Ireland vs Bulgaria
While Northern Ireland is considered the favorite, both teams are stronger defensively than offensively. Betting on "Total Under 2.0 Goals" (odds – 1.87) seems like a safe option.