Bulgaria vs Hungary prediction: EUROPE: Euro – Qualification betting tips on match 2023-11-15 17:00.
Heading into their final two UEFA European Championship (ECQ) qualifiers, Bulgaria still don’t have a win under their belt (D2, L4) and therefore cannot automatically qualify for Germany, although they could get to their first major tournament since 2004 via the play-offs thanks to their UEFA Nations League results. However, despite their position at the bottom of the group, the Lions haven’t been thrashed too often, only once losing by a three-goal margin, although that did come against next opponents Hungary.
The Lions’ general lack of success under Mladen Krstajić cost him his job last month following an eight-game winless run in 2023 (D2, L6). Krstajić’s successor, Ilian Iliev, is an experienced hand when it comes to Bulgarian domestic football, but he has never managed at international level, and his first task is a challenging one as he looks to end a three-match winless H2H sequence.
Hungary, meanwhile, have the exact opposite record to their hosts (W4, D2), and only need a point from this encounter to ensure qualification for their third successive Euros finals, while their passage to the tournament proper will also be assured even if they lose, providing Montenegro do not beat Lithuania.
If the Magyars secure victory in Sofia though, manager Marco Rossi will be the first man in charge to have racked up 30 wins for the national side since the legendary Lajos Baróti, who guided his country to gold at the 1964 Olympics. Hungary have proven much more than good frontrunners too, as on the two occasions they’ve fallen behind during this qualifying cycle, they have fought back impressively to earn four points in two away trips to Serbia (W2-1) and Lithuania (2-2), with the latter comeback from 2-0 down.
Players to watch: Bulgaria captain Kiril Despodov is comfortably the highest international scorer in Iliev’s squad (10), and has three goal involvements (G1, A2) in six matches for club side PAOK. In the absence of key forwards, visiting skipper Dominik Szoboszlai will take on increased responsibility – four of his last five goal involvements (G2, A3) for club and country have come after the 65th minute.
Hot stat: Hungary haven’t lost on their travels while failing to score since September 2021 (W5, D4, L1 on the road since).