Republic of Ireland vs Bulgaria
The Republic of Ireland and Bulgaria had different experiences in their recent Euro 2020 qualifiers. While the Irish picked up an important point at home against Switzerland, the Bulgarians were battered 4-0 by Harry Kane and England.
But while other European countries continue their qualifying campaigns, Ireland and Bulgaria will face off in an international friendly at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
This matchup is unlikely to be among the top fixtures most SBOBET football fans will be eagerly looking forward to. But nevertheless, it figures to be a significant game for both countries.
Most international friendly 2019 predictions for this match will likely back Ireland to prolong their current unbeaten run at the expense of the Bulgarians, who are in the midst of a disastrous winless stretch at the moment.
Talking Points
Irish attack loses even more weapons
Ireland remained unbeaten through five UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches as they picked up a 1-1 draw at home against group favourites Switzerland.
Sheffield United striker David McGoldrick scored his first career international goal to equalise in the 85th minute after Fabian Schar put the Swiss ahead.
The Irish have won three and drawn two of their first five qualifying games to lead Group D. Although, they have played one more game than second-place Denmark — with whom they drew 1-1 — and two more than Switzerland. They’ve also extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to seven matches (three wins, four draws).
However, they have found goals hard to come by, scoring just six in their five qualifiers. That search for goals will be made even more difficult with both McGoldrick and Sheffield United team-mate Callum Robinson both ruled out due to injury.
McGoldrick had apparently come into camp with a shoulder injury but was deemed fit to play. Meanwhile, Robinson felt a tweak in his hamstring.
Manager Mick McCarthy says he has no plans to call up other players to the squad, which means the likes of Sean Maguire and Scott Hogan will have to lead the line for the Irish. Neither has scored a single goal for Ireland in their 12 total caps.
With veteran striker Shane Long missing due to injury, this Ireland team has only one player who has scored more than three international goals — midfielder James McClean, who has 10 in 68 caps.
However, they should still like their chances of getting a goal at home against a Bulgaria defence which has failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last nine matches in all competitions.
Bulgaria in bad shape
Bulgaria are in the midst of quite a disastrous run at the moment. After winning their first three UEFA Nations League matches, they have since gone winless in their last eight games (four draws, four defeats).
Their Euro 2020 campaign has gone off to a particularly disastrous start. After drawing against Montenegro and Kosovo, they have lost their last three matches, which includes a 3-2 home defeat to the Kosovans.
Their 4-0 defeat to England didn’t look too good, but they did show some signs of promise. Prior to a mistake from keeper Plamen Iliev which led to the first England goal, they had made things difficult for the Three Lions.
Moreover, 31-year-old midfielder Wanderson — a naturalised Brazilian — made a strong debut as he provided a much-needed creative spark behind captain Ivelin Popov. If there’s anyone on the Bulgarian side capable of producing some noteworthy international friendly 2019 highlights, it’s those two.
Much like Ireland, the Bulgarians are sorely lacking in proven scorers on their squad. Aside from Popov, who has 15 goals in 85 games, no other player on the squad has scored more than twice for the national team.
History
Bulgaria and Ireland have faced off nine times in their history. The Bulgarians hold the slight edge in wins, 3-2, with four draws.
The two nations have met each other just three times since the turn of the century, though; all three of those matches ended in a 1-1 draw.
Betting Tip
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Republic of Ireland vs Bulgaria | Over 2.50 Goals @ 2.00 |
| September 11, 02:45 (GMT+8) |
The Republic of Ireland are priced at 1.63 on the 1X2 market, while Bulgaria are at 5.20. While the Irish should be a decent bet to get the home win, their odds don’t provide too much value.
That’s why I believe going over 2.50 goals is the smarter play. Bulgaria do have the ability to score goals — they’ve had one in six of their last seven games — but they also have the habit of letting them in. Look for the Irish to score a couple in front of their home fans, with the Bulgarians getting one themselves.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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 = €20 (Highly confident) |
= €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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