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A few days ago in Prague, England put on an abject display, a performance not too dissimilar to the ones they’ve been criticised for over the years, especially in clutch away fixtures. On that evening, the Three Lions looked clueless as a brave and confident Czech Republic side methodically put the visitors to the sword.
Subsequently, Gareth Southgate’s charges missed an opportunity to book a place in Euro 2020, hurting their plans for the trip to Sofia. And while the result certainly damaged their short-term prospects, it also opened up previously sutured wounds, to an extent.
England have often been accused of lacking the requisite tactical acumen against teams capable of controlling the tempo of the match. Unfortunately, they did nothing to quell those fears against the Czech Republic.
Thus, the encounter against Bulgaria on Monday represents the perfect chance for the Three Lions to roar back and strengthen the credentials that took an enormous hit on Friday.
However, that wouldn’t be too easy against a Bulgarian side on their home patch. Even though the hosts have never managed to get the better of England in the past, the Three Lions might have to fight against their own deficiencies as much as the opposition, meaning another layer of toughness is added to their challenge.
Match Details
Date: 14th October, 2019
Time: 9:45 pm (Local Time); 12:15 am IST on the 15th of October, 2019
Venue: Stadion Vasil Levski, Sofia
Head to Head Record
Total Matches Played: 11 matches
Bulgaria: 0 wins
England: 7 wins
Draw: 4 draws
Form Guide (Last five matches; Most recent first)
Bulgaria: D-L-L-L-L
England: L-W-W-L-L
Player to watch out for
Raheem Sterling
Raheem Sterling endured an evening to forget against the Czech Republic as he was a largely anonymous figure. Though he helped England earn a penalty, he failed to stamp his authority on the game, in the process, allowing the hosts to grow in confidence.
Thus, the Manchester City forward would be hoping for a much better showing in Sofia on Monday, especially in light of his sparkling start to the 2019-20 season. Although he hasn’t always replicated his club form on the international front, the Englishman hasn’t gone too many games without imposing himself.
Betting Tips
Bulgaria win: 13.00
England win: 1.14
Draw: 6.00
Bookmaker: Sportsbet
