Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the international friendly match.
The international friendly between neighbouring nations Greece and Bulgaria will take place on Crete, the largest Greek island. Official competitive fixtures for both teams are not set to resume until the start of autumn.
Greece
Greece approach this match in buoyant mood. On the 7th, they recorded a resounding 4:1 win over a determined Slovakia side. Back in March, they earned promotion to the top tier of the UEFA Nations League via the play-offs. After suffering a 0:1 home defeat against Scotland, they bounced back with a 3:0 away victory. Among their seven goals across those fixtures were two from Giannis Konstantelias, one of the country's standout performers, who continues to play domestically in the Super League with PAOK FC.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria lack players of similar pedigree. Few squad members are based in Western Europe. One exception is Ilia Gruev, who achieved promotion to the English Premier League with Leeds United. The defensive midfielder has 21 international caps, though his development owes much to the German football system in which he was nurtured. Even with him in the line-up, Bulgaria were held to a 2:2 draw against lower-ranked Cyprus in their previous friendly and failed to reach UEFA Nations League B, having lost both matches against Ireland (1:2, 1:2).
Greece vs Bulgaria Prediction
Despite their geographical closeness, these sides last faced each other at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where Bulgaria secured a dominant 4:0 win led by the iconic Hristo Stoichkov. Today, Bulgaria no longer have players of such calibre, while Greece boast a more talented and cohesive squad. A comfortable win for Greece looks the most likely outcome.
