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Bulgaria face Northern Ireland at the Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia on Tuesday in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
With a defeat for both sides in their last game, their hopes of reaching the next round have virtually ended.
The Lions, stunned 3-1 by lowly Lithuania, are second from bottom in Group C with five points, level with Northern Ireland but behind in the table due to an inferior goal difference.
The Norn Irons have a game in hand but trail second-placed Switzerland by six points.
Like Bulgaria, they have suffered due to an impotent attack, having scored only four times in the qualifying campaign so far.
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Bulgaria vs Northern Ireland Head-To-Head
There have been eight previous clashes between the sides, with Bulgaria winning exactly half of them.
Their last meeting in March, in the first leg of these qualifiers, ended in a goalless stalemate.
Bulgaria Form Guide (all competitions): L-D-W-W-L
Northern Ireland Form Guide (all competitions): L-W-W-D-L
Bulgaria vs Northern Ireland Team News
Bulgaria
In the absence of Nikolay Mihaylov, who wasn't called up for this month's qualifiers, Martin Lukov is set to continue in goal.
Ludogorets striker Kiril Despodov, who scored his third international goal at the weekend, might start again with either Dimitar Iliev or Kaloyan Krastev supporting him in attack.
Injured: None
Suspended: None
Unavailable: Nikolay Mihaylov
Northern Ireland
Head coach Ian Baraclough is already missing some key players through injury.
Jonny Evans, Trevor Carson, Michael Smith, Alistair McCann, Gavin Whyte and Shayne Lavery all pulled out of the squad due to injury.
Jamal Lewis was sent off in the loss to Switzerland on Sunday and will now serve a suspension, ruling him out of the clash.
Shane Ferguson is likely to come into his place at left-back.
Injured: Jonny Evans, Trevor Carson, Michael Smith, Alistair McCann, Gavin Whyte, and Shayne Lavery
Suspended: Jamal Lewis
Unavailable: None
Bulgaria vs Ireland Predicted XI
Bulgaria (4-2-3-1): Martin Lukov; Andrea Hristov, Valentin Antov, Petko Hristov, Vasil Bozhikov; Kristyan Malinov, Ivaylo Chochev; Kiril Despodov, Todor Nedelev, Georgi Yomov; Kaloyan Krastev.
Ireland (3-4-3): Bailey Peacock-Farrell; Ciaron Brown, Craig Cathcart, Daniel Ballard; Jordan Jones, Stuart Dallas, George Saville, Steven Davis; Paddy McNair, Shane Ferguson, Conor Washington.
Bulgaria vs Northern Ireland Prediction
With neither side particularly dominant in attack, we believe that this match is likely to end in a stalemate.
Bulgaria are in a rough patch of form, and Northern Ireland should be able to grind out a point.
Prediction: Bulgaria 1-1 Northern Ireland
