Aiming to keep their place in Europe’s second tier, Republic of Ireland will welcome Bulgaria to Dublin on Sunday evening, for the second leg of their UEFA Nations League playoff.
Ireland lead by one goal following Thursday’s clash in Plovdiv, so they are set to stay in League B as things stand; Bulgaria must win or face another campaign in League C.
Match preview
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A spirited fightback earned Republic of Ireland victory in the first leg of their Nations League promotion/relegation playoff, as they recovered from going a goal down within six minutes at Stadion Hristo Botev.
Marin Petkov‘s early strike left Caoimhin Kelleher well beaten, but the visitors bit back: first Finn Azaz found the net from close range, then Matt Doherty headed them in front shortly before half time.
Following a goalless second half, Ireland bring a slim advantage into Sunday’s return game at Aviva Stadium, but head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson will surely take nothing for granted.
His team finished second-bottom of their group late last year, with just six points taken from six fixtures; continuing a tough spell for fans of the men’s national team.
The Boys in Green not only conceded 12 goals in the group stage but also scored just three, so Hallgrimsson has hardly improved on the output of former boss Stephen Kenny.
So, wrapping up survival in League B will be his next task, before looking ahead to World Cup qualifying – after two summer friendlies, that starts with a home game against Hungary in September.
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While Ireland only narrowly escaped automatic relegation, Bulgaria’s group-phase campaign was relatively successful, as they pipped Belarus to finish runners-up behind Northern Ireland.
A nervy 1-1 draw with the Belarussians in their final fixture sent them into the playoffs, but they must now win in Dublin for the first time to secure promotion to the heady heights of League B.
Head coach Ilian Iliev has been in charge for 13 games, and his side have only found the net seven times in that period, including Petkov’s fine finish to a smart team move in Plovdiv.
Scoring continues to be a significant problem for the toothless Lions, who will also start World Cup qualifying in September.
Like Sunday’s hosts, Bulgaria are outsiders to reach next year’s global finals, so any success in the Nations League would represent a major achievement.
Team News
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It remains to be seen whether Heimir Hallgrimsson makes many changes to a winning Ireland side, as Troy Parrott again vies with Evan Ferguson to start up front.
The latter was restricted to a substitute appearance in midweek, but those roles could be reversed; Celtic striker Adam Idah is another possible option.
Having recently reconciled with his national coach, Matt Doherty should be handed a 50th senior cap, featuring alongside Dara O’Shea and Nathan Collins in defence. Robbie Brady could also keep his place at left-back despite suffering a bloody nose in Bulgaria.
Meanwhile, Aberdeen goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov was forced off by an injury during the first leg, being replaced for the second half by Plamen Iliev.
Iliev is therefore set to start for the visitors on Sunday, but few other changes are expected.
Captain Kiril Despodov – his country’s leading active scorer with 15 international goals – should again feature in the final third, alongside Levski Sofia winger Marin Petkov.
Republic of Ireland possible starting lineup:
Kelleher; Doherty, Collins, O’Shea, Brady; Cullen, Knight; Johnston, Azaz, Manning; Ferguson
Bulgaria possible starting lineup:
P. Iliev; Nedyalkov, Atanasov, A. Petkov, Nurnberger; M. Petkov, Kraev, Gruev, Krastev, Despodov; L. Petkov
We say: Republic of Ireland 2-1 Bulgaria (Republic of Ireland win 4-2 on aggregate)
Having recorded a rare away win, Ireland should be sufficiently confident to see off a limited Bulgaria side for the second time in three days.
The Boys in Green now have several options up front, all of whom will be keen to prove themselves before World Cup qualifying gets under way, and they can score twice to secure their League B status.
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