Prediction: Wales vs Bulgaria

Prediction: Draw

Best Odds: 14/5

Bookmaker: Betfair

European football is slowly but surely starting to return with a brand new season after an incredibly short absence, but for the next few days, the international game is going to become the core focal point – and that means the return of the UEFA Nations League. Wales and Bulgaria will be clashing heads later on this week in what many consider to be a hyped up friendly, but with UEFA Euro 2021 coming up next season, one will be making preparations for the tournament whereas the other still needs to try and confirm their qualification.

Wales

As runners-up in Group E, Wales are the latest country to book their ticket to next year’s European Championship in what will be their second appearance in the tournament. They made a triumphant run all the way to the semi-finals back in 2016, and five years later, they’ll be eager to prove people wrong again. They returned to international action a few days ago when they put in an impressive shift to beat fellow Euro 2020 qualifiers Finland 1-0.

Team News

There are a handful of notable absences for the Welsh to deal with as Ramsey, Brooks, Williams and Roberts are all injured, with Gareth Bale aiming to make some kind of appearance.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria will lock horns with Hungary in their playoff semi-final next month, and if they win that, they’ll play Iceland or Romania with a place at UEFA Euro 2021 on the line. The most popular memory that fans have of the Bulgarian national team goes all the way back to the 1994 FIFA World Cup when they made a miraculous run all the way to the semi-finals. Now, after a competitive 1-1 draw against Republic of Ireland on Thursday, they’ll be hoping they can upset the odds once more in the playoffs.

Team News

Georgiev is expected to continue as the man Bulgaria use for their number one spot in this game, but aside from that, there’s no real team news to discuss as the visitors prepare to put out their strongest possible starting XI.

Factors to Consider

• Their last notable meeting was a 1-0 win for Wales during Euro 2012 qualifying.
• Wales have won four and drawn two of their last six games.
• Bulgaria have won one, drawn two and lost three of their last six games.
• Wales have scored eight goals and conceded two in their last six games.
• Bulgaria have scored two goals and conceded nine in their last six games.

Conclusion

This isn’t going to be a particularly attractive game for most fans to watch, and to be honest, it probably shouldn’t be. Both nations have players who are preparing for far more important games and while this may not be a friendly in the traditional sense, it doesn’t have the stakes attached to it that future encounters will for both nations. We think it’s going to be a tight affair with both teams getting on the scoresheet, leaving us with a final score of 1-1.

Prediction: Draw

Best Odds: 14/5

Bookmaker: Betfair