Bulgaria vs Gibraltar prediction: EUROPE: UEFA Nations League – League C betting tips on match 2022-09-22 18:45.
Winless Bulgaria (D3, L1) and Gibraltar (D1, L3) are out of reckoning for promotion from UEFA Nations League (UNL) League C4, but the looming relegation play-offs make this theoretically a ‘must-win’ for both sides. Bulgaria’s new coach Mladen Krstajić will start his tenure as only their second overseas manager since the 1960s and knows his side must achieve better results or risk successive UNL relegations.
To help avoid that fate, the hosts will need to break an eight-game winless run (D4, L4) and improve their poor form in this competition. After starting their UNL journey with three successive wins back in 2018, Bulgaria are winless across their last 13 UNL matches (D7, L6).
Rooted to the bottom of the group, Gibraltar’s only point in this campaign came in the reverse fixture when they came back from a goal down to draw 1-1. Having only managed promotion in the last UNL campaign, the second-smallest populated UEFA member would be keen to avert immediate relegation, although their form is heavily stacked against them.
The visitors are winless since October 2020 (D6, L15) which is quickly approaching their longest-ever stretch without a victory (24). Their last win came in this competition though and three draws across the last six UNL matches (L3) is a beacon of hope. However they’ll need to rediscover their clinical touch in front of goal after failing to score in five of their last seven UNL away games.
Players to watch: Kiril Despodov regularly plays at this venue for Ludogorets Razgrad and has five goal contributions (G3, A2) in his last four competitive matches here, while also scoring for Bulgaria at this stadium on matchday one. Reece Styche, who can become Gibraltar’s joint top-scorer with his next strike, has scored his last two national goals away from home.
Hot stat: There’s been under 2.5 goals scored in 11 of Bulgaria’s last 13 UNL matches.