Preview: Bulgaria vs Montenegro - prediction, team news, lineups

Back-to-back wins in March have given Bulgaria a timely confidence boost, and Aleksandar Dimitrov’s side will look to carry that momentum into Sunday’s friendly when they take on Montenegro at Stadion Hristo Botev in Plovdiv.

Dimitrov’s Lions head in with three wins from their last four matches after a miserable World Cup qualifying campaign, while a Montenegro side still searching for consistency make the trip having conceded three in their most recent outing against Slovenia.

Match preview

Bulgaria head into Sunday’s fixture in the best form they have shown in some time, having won three of their last four matches after a torrid run that saw them lose five consecutive games during their World Cup qualifying campaign.

That qualifying campaign ended in frustration for the Lions, who finished bottom of Group E with just one win - a record that featured the fewest goals scored and the most conceded in the group, and ultimately extinguished any hope of reaching the 2026 finals in the United States.

The turnaround came during the March FIFA Series, where Bulgaria dispatched the Solomon Islands 10-2 before edging past Indonesia 1-0 a few days later.

Despite those results, defensive fragility remains a concern for Dimitrov’s side, having conceded in nine of the last 10 games.

Bulgaria have not qualified for a World Cup since 1998 - despite having reached the finals seven times in their history, and while Sunday’s friendly carries no competitive weight, Dimitrov will be eager to build on recent results and give his squad a positive platform heading into the next qualifying cycle.

© Iconsport / Pixsell

Montenegro have also endured a difficult period, winning just three of their last 10 matches across all competitions, and their own World Cup qualifying campaign ended in disappointment with a fourth-place finish in Group L from three wins and five defeats. 

Mirko Vucinic’s side did show some signs of life in March, comfortably beating Andorra before suffering a 3-2 defeat to Slovenia.

In the last five meetings between the two nations, Montenegro hold the advantage with two wins and three draws - Bulgaria are yet to beat Montenegro in recent history.

Bulgaria International Friendlies form:

Bulgaria form (all competitions):

Montenegro International Friendlies form:

Montenegro form (all competitions):

Team News

© Iconsport / LiveMedia

Bulgaria will be without captain and key winger Kiril Despodov, who misses the match through injury, a significant loss given his importance to the hosts’ attacking play in the final third.

Filip Krastev has also been left out of the squad due to injury, and Dimitrov named a 26-man group that includes two new faces in midfielders Petko Panayotov and Efe Ali.

Montenegro travel to Plovdiv without captain and veteran striker Stevan Jovetic, who has been omitted from the squad.

Atalanta forward Nikola Krstovic is expected to step up and lead the line in Jovetic’s absence, with the 26-year-old carrying the primary goalscoring responsibility for the visitors.

Among the new call-ups for Montenegro are 21-year-old goalkeeper Benjamin Krijestarac and defender Andrija Raznatovic, both of whom could feature during the course of the match.

Bulgaria possible starting lineup:

Naumov; Turitsov, Ivanov, Tsenov, Petrov; Kraev; Petkov, Tsonev, Iliev, Dimitrov; Minchev

Montenegro possible starting lineup:

Petkovic; Marusic, Vujacic, Rubezic, Vesovic; Vukotic, Simun, Loncar, Haksabanovic; Krstovic, Osmajic

We say: Bulgaria 1-1 Montenegro

Both defences have shown they can be opened up in recent months, and with Montenegro having won the last two meetings between the sides, the visitors are unlikely to be overawed at Stadion Hristo Botev.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.