Slovenia - Bulgaria predictions and free betting tips [08/06/2024]

On Saturday, 8th June, in a friendly match, Slovenia will host the national team of Bulgaria. While the home side is gearing up for the upcoming continental championship, the Bulgarians are set to miss the Euro and will next appear in the Nations League in September.

Slovenia

The Slovenians struggled to qualify for major tournaments, last appearing at the World Cup in 2010. However, their continental performance has been less impressive, with only one win in nine matches leading to three group stage exits. Currently, the Balkan team is in excellent form, having suffered just two defeats in their last 20 matches across all competitions—away to Finland and Denmark. Impressively, they've succeeded in eight of their last 10 home games, including a 2-0 victory over Portugal in March and a 2-1 win over Armenia last Tuesday. Mlakar opened the scoring in the first half, and experienced Josip Ilicic responded to Aroyan's equaliser. In Germany, the tricolours will battle for a playoff spot against Denmark, Serbia, and England. The coaching staff is pleased with the team's scoring prowess, having found the net in every match since June last year. Expect Benjamin Sesko, who came off the bench against Armenia, to lead the attack on Saturday. Jan Oblak will return to the goal, while David Brekalo will anchor the central defence. Kurtic and Sporar will take up midfield roles, and the speedy Jansa will position on the right flank of the defence. Coach Kek might opt for a 4-4-2 formation, which was successful against Portugal in March.

Bulgaria

Bulgaria is no longer the dark horse it once was, experiencing rough times in recent years. However, since November, there has been noticeable progress under Ilian Iliev: the new head coach has secured one win and four draws, a commendable record considering the team faced four consecutive defeats before his tenure. Although their sole victory was against modest Tanzania, they managed draws against Hungary, Serbia, Azerbaijan, and Romania—three of these teams qualified for Euro 2024. Nonetheless, Bulgaria hasn't defeated a UEFA opponent since November 2022, when they bested Cyprus in a friendly encounter. 3

 Furthermore, the southern team has struggled in away matches, failing to secure victories in their last seven away outings, conceding in six out of eight of these matches. Iliev might field the same lineup that achieved a draw with Romania a few days earlier. Expect Radoslav Kirilov to feature in attack alongside Georgi Minchev, while Simeon Petrov will replace veteran Zhivko Atanasov in central defence. Ludogorets' experienced forward Despodov will be the main offensive weapon in the final third, with Panayotov and Kostadinov anchoring the defensive midfield.

Head-to-head

Bulgaria has avoided defeat against Slovenia in their last four encounters, with the only draw coming in a 2018 Nations League match (1:1).

Match Prediction: Slovenia vs Bulgaria

While Slovenia didn't impress against Armenia last week, there is no doubt that the hosts will aim to delight the home crowd with another victory this Saturday. The hosts boast a quality lineup led by Sesko and Oblak, whereas the Bulgarians lack stars of similar calibre. Moreover, the southern team has a poor away record and hasn't claimed an away win for over a year. Hence, confidently wager on Slovenia's triumph.