Bulgaria v Hungary
BULGARIA
Three Reasons to be Cheerful
1 The influence and experience of veteran attacking midfielder Ivelin Popov. After 13 years in the international saddle he is still bright, active and able. 2 New coach Georgi Dermendzhiev – who took over when legendary ex-playmaker Krasimir Balakov quit back in October – may not have the Hollywood name of his predecessor but may be just what they need: a competent, safe pair of hands. The 64-year-old steered Ludogorets to three straight Bulgarian league title wins and the group stage of the 2014-15 Champions League.
3 The aerial threat from set-pieces of central defender Vasil Bozhikov. He is captain of Slovakian side Slovan Bratislava and is one of Bulgaria’s emotional leaders.
Three Fear Factors
1 Their disastrous record in the qualifying group, only recording one win in eight encounters. Home form is another major concern. Since the start of 2019 they have prevailed in just one match when playing on their own patch: a 1-0 victory over Czech Republic in November in their final qualifier.
2 They have few good striking options. Lokomotiv Plovdiv’s Dimitar Iliev, who was recently voted the country’s player of the year, could hold the antidote but he only earned his first cap in February and at 31 he has it all to prove.
3 They have major defensive frailties, among them a tendency to ball watch and dive in impulsively for tackles. They can be carved open far too easily.
HUNGARY Three Reasons to be Cheerful
1 RB Leipzig’s Peter Gulacsi is one of the most accomplished goalkeepers in the German Bundesliga. A wonderful shot-stopper, he is so hard to beat in one-on-one situations.
2 The Magyars have an uncanny knack for raising the game when the stakes are high, as demonstrated in victories against Croatia and Wales in qualification. 3 They have the most valuable of motivational tools: should they make the finals they could be in line to play their two opening group games at home in Budapest.
Three Fear Factors
1 They will be without influential centre-back and captain Willi Orban who underwent a knee operation in October and will not be available before April.
2 They can be extremely vulnerable to a swift counter-attack. Sometimes there is an all-or-nothing aspect to their forward play with insufficient attention paid to keeping the back door shut. 3 First-choice striker Adam Szalai is having a dreadful season in Germany with Mainz and is no longer an automatic starter in the Bundesliga.