The best Football
Predictions
Bulgaria
WC Qualification Europe
Group Stage
Sun , Mar 28 , 2021 20:45
0 - 2
Italy
Bulgaria
Italy
0 - 2
Italy will look to grab a second win in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers when they travel to Bulgaria on Sunday. Read our reasons for Bulgaria vs Italy prediction and betting tips.
There has already been the first devastating result for Bulgaria as Switzerland earned a 3-1 win in Sofia. Breel Embolo, Haris Seferovic, and Steven Zuber had the match sealed with goals in the opening 13 minutes. Bulgaria tried to get back into the match as Kiril Despodov, who failed to make an impact at Cagliari, got a consolation goal at the first moments of the second half but that was it for the host in the first game. Bulgaria was relegated to the UEFA Nations League C last year and they are in a bad shift in the last ten years so heavy loss at home could be brutal for their already slim chances to give something more in these qualifiers. Their next rival is a bogey team for them as Bulgaria and Italy have faced each other 22 times in their history, with Italy winning 11 and drawing nine. So, with only two wins, a bad moment and lack of confidence, and stats that show Italy are undefeated in their last eight games (5W 3D) against Bulgaria this is not a good time to meet any decent team. The two sides last met in the qualifying stage for the 2016 Euros, with Italy winning 1-0 at home after having drawn 2-2 in Bulgaria.
Home manager Yasen Petrov included 10 uncapped players in his first selection as national boss, though regular fixtures such as experienced captain Petar Zanev and Brazil-born defender Cicinho should once again start in defense versus Italy. Bologna prospect Valentin Antov began on the bench against Switzerland but will vie for an opportunity to play against some familiar faces, with fellow Serie A man Andrey Galabinov, of Spezia, hoping to make the matchday squad this time out after being entirely omitted on Thursday. The third player in the hosts' Italy-based trio, Cagliari forward Kiril Despodov, is again expected to shoulder the burden of creativity for a Bulgaria team that has often struggled in the final third.
Bulgaria: P. Iliev; Popov, Antov, Zanev, Cicinho; Malinov, Kostadinov; Delev, D. Iliev, Despodov; Yomov
Roberto Mancini thought the first half of Italy’s 2-0 win over Northern Ireland was ‘perfect, but we must do better' than the second half. The job was done through Domenico Berardi and Ciro Immobile goals before half-time in Parma, the opening 2022 World Cup qualifier. “After five months, the first half was excellent and we should’ve scored more goals,” Mancini told media. “We’ll have to review the second half with the team because we must do better than that. The first half was perfect, pretty much, we should’ve had more goals and were moving the ball quickly. Perhaps we started to take a few too many touches after the break and the ball moved slowly, but that can happen after five months of not seeing each other.”
With Jorginho out injured, Manuel Locatelli of Sassuolo stepped into midfield. “Immobile and Locatelli did well, we could’ve won by a bigger margin in the first half, but we knew Northern Ireland was a physical side that could cause us problems. We made too many mistakes. The ball can go long at times, especially when we’re pressed like that and the opposition are defending in numbers.” Immobile broke his Italy goal drought with a well-taken counter-attack, but also missed some other chances. “It’s fundamental for a striker to score goals. We’re happy for him and hope all the forwards get goals.”
There have been many withdrawals from Roberto Mancini's original 38-man squad for the three fixtures after Roma's Bryan Cristante and Moise Kean of Paris Saint-Germain pulled out due to injury and Chelsea's deep-lying midfielder Jorginho is out because of a knee problem. On Friday, Sassuolo strikers Francesco Caputo and Domenico Berardi, plus veteran defender Giorgio Chiellini, left the Italy squad and all three have been ruled out of the next two games. Inter's Nicolo Barella only arrived at Italy's Coverciano camp just before the Northern Ireland game, due to his club side's COVID-19 outbreak late last week, so was replaced by Lorenzo Pellegrini at the Tardini. Both Barella and his Nerazzurri teammate Alessandro Bastoni could be set for starts in Sofia though, with Pellegrini and veteran Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci perhaps sitting out. Despite his midweek goal and rich recent record of productivity while wearing the iconic blue shirt, Ciro Immobile could well be rested, allowing Andrea Belotti to take the central striker's role in Mancini's favored 4-3-3.
Italy: Donnarumma; Emerson, Acerbi, Bastoni, Di Lorenzo; Pessina, Verratti, Barella; Bernardeschi, Belotti, Chiesa
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Italy faces Bulgaria on Sunday, before traveling to Lithuania for the third match in the qualifier on March 31 and they are eager to make a perfect start. BettingKick’s Bulgaria vs Italy prediction: Away team win to nil.
4-2-3-1
4-3-3
Bulgaria
Italy
| 12.10.2021. | Bulgaria | VS | Northern Ireland | 2-1 |
W
|
| 09.10.2021. | Lithuania | VS | Bulgaria | 3-1 |
L
|
| 08.09.2021. | Bulgaria | VS | Georgia | 4-1 |
W
|
| 05.09.2021. | Bulgaria | VS | Lithuania | 1-0 |
W
|
| 02.09.2021. | Italy | VS | Bulgaria | 1-1 |
D
|
| 08.06.2021. | France | VS | Bulgaria | 3-0 |
L
|
| 05.06.2021. | Russia | VS | Bulgaria | 1-0 |
L
|
| 01.06.2021. | Slovakia | VS | Bulgaria | 1-1 |
D
|
| 31.03.2021. | Northern Ireland | VS | Bulgaria | 0-0 |
D
|
| 28.03.2021. | Bulgaria | VS | Italy | 0-2 |
L
|
| 12.10.2021. | Bulgaria | VS | Northern Ireland | 2-1 |
W
|
| 08.09.2021. | Bulgaria | VS | Georgia | 4-1 |
W
|
| 05.09.2021. | Bulgaria | VS | Lithuania | 1-0 |
W
|
| 28.03.2021. | Bulgaria | VS | Italy | 0-2 |
L
|
| 25.03.2021. | Bulgaria | VS | Switzerland | 1-3 |
L
|
| 15.11.2020. | Bulgaria | VS | Finland | 1-2 |
L
|
| 11.11.2020. | Bulgaria | VS | Gibraltar | 3-0 |
W
|
| 14.10.2020. | Bulgaria | VS | Wales | 0-1 |
L
|
| 08.10.2020. | Bulgaria | VS | Hungary | 1-3 |
L
|
| 03.09.2020. | Bulgaria | VS | Republic of Ireland | 1-1 |
D
|
| 09.10.2021. | Lithuania | VS | Bulgaria | 3-1 |
L
|
| 02.09.2021. | Italy | VS | Bulgaria | 1-1 |
D
|
| 08.06.2021. | France | VS | Bulgaria | 3-0 |
L
|
| 05.06.2021. | Russia | VS | Bulgaria | 1-0 |
L
|
| 01.06.2021. | Slovakia | VS | Bulgaria | 1-1 |
D
|
| 31.03.2021. | Northern Ireland | VS | Bulgaria | 0-0 |
D
|
| 18.11.2020. | Republic of Ireland | VS | Bulgaria | 0-0 |
D
|
| 11.10.2020. | Finland | VS | Bulgaria | 2-0 |
L
|
| 06.09.2020. | Wales | VS | Bulgaria | 1-0 |
L
|
| 11.10.2019. | Montenegro | VS | Bulgaria | 0-0 |
D
|
| 06.10.2021. | Italy | VS | Spain | 1-2 |
L
|
| 08.09.2021. | Italy | VS | Lithuania | 5-0 |
W
|
| 05.09.2021. | Switzerland | VS | Italy | 0-0 |
D
|
| 02.09.2021. | Italy | VS | Bulgaria | 1-1 |
D
|
| 11.07.2021. | Italy | VS | England | 1-1 |
D
|
| 06.07.2021. | Italy | VS | Spain | 1-1 |
D
|
| 02.07.2021. | Belgium | VS | Italy | 1-2 |
W
|
| 26.06.2021. | Italy | VS | Austria | 0-0 |
W
|
| 20.06.2021. | Italy | VS | Wales | 1-0 |
W
|
| 16.06.2021. | Italy | VS | Switzerland | 3-0 |
W
|
| 06.10.2021. | Italy | VS | Spain | 1-2 |
L
|
| 08.09.2021. | Italy | VS | Lithuania | 5-0 |
W
|
| 02.09.2021. | Italy | VS | Bulgaria | 1-1 |
D
|
| 11.07.2021. | Italy | VS | England | 1-1 |
D
|
| 06.07.2021. | Italy | VS | Spain | 1-1 |
D
|
| 26.06.2021. | Italy | VS | Austria | 0-0 |
W
|
| 20.06.2021. | Italy | VS | Wales | 1-0 |
W
|
| 16.06.2021. | Italy | VS | Switzerland | 3-0 |
W
|
| 04.06.2021. | Italy | VS | Czech Republic | 4-0 |
W
|
| 28.05.2021. | Italy | VS | San Marino | 7-0 |
W
|
| 05.09.2021. | Switzerland | VS | Italy | 0-0 |
D
|
| 02.07.2021. | Belgium | VS | Italy | 1-2 |
W
|
| 11.06.2021. | Turkey | VS | Italy | 0-3 |
W
|
| 31.03.2021. | Lithuania | VS | Italy | 0-2 |
W
|
| 28.03.2021. | Bulgaria | VS | Italy | 0-2 |
W
|
| 18.11.2020. | Bosnia | VS | Italy | 0-2 |
W
|
| 11.10.2020. | Poland | VS | Italy | 0-0 |
D
|
| 07.09.2020. | Netherlands | VS | Italy | 0-1 |
W
|
| 15.11.2019. | Bosnia | VS | Italy | 0-3 |
W
|
| 15.10.2019. | Liechtenstein | VS | Italy | 0-5 |
W
|
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Daniel Garcia is originally from Basque Country, and as a kid who grew up just a few streets from Mendizorrotza Stadium, the choice of Deportivo Alavés as his favourite club is more than obvious. Because of his studies, he moved to Madrid where he graduated in Sports Journalism. Daniel plays football on the weekends, but that does not stop him from watching all La Liga matches. He believes that the outcome of a match can be predicted if all the parameters are analyzed well, including form of the players and weather conditions. Currently he is living in Belgrade, and is in love with a Serbian girl who works as a journalist at one of the famous Sport Channels in Serbia.
