Bulgaria vs Serbia

High-flying Serbia head to the Huvepharma Arena to encounter a lowly Bulgaria in a lopsided Euro 2024 qualifying match-up.

It’s been two decades since Bulgaria last qualified for a European Championship, crashing out of the 2004 group stages without accruing a single point. They’d trade another underwhelming final tournament for a chance to compete in one, yet a catastrophic three-game winless start to their Group G journey (D1, L2) ought to extend their wait. Mladen Krstajic’s team failed to take advantage of being a man up for over 70 minutes in a disturbing 1-1 draw at Lithuania last time out. However, they’ll hope home comforts could turn their fortunes around, though their recent record in Euro qualifiers at home tells a different story. Indeed, the ‘Lions’ have managed just two wins in their last 15 Euro qualifying games at home (D4, L9).

Unlike their hosts, Serbia’s effort to qualify for their first-ever Euro finals as an independent nation has been off to a dream start. After a comfortable 2-0 home win over Lithuania on day one, Dragan Stojkovic’s side eased past neighbors Montenegro via the same scoreline to assume control in Group G. Serbia’s second-string line-up pulled off a stunning late comeback to beat Jordan 3-2 in a warm-up fixture ahead of this clash, reinforcing their hopes of maintaining a 100% win ratio against Bulgaria (W2). Moreover, in addition to winning all four internationals in 2023, the ‘Eagles’ have netted multiple goals on their last five travels outside their homeland. A four-match unbeaten away run in competitive action (W3, D1) can only boost their confidence even further.