Match report

Bulgaria Defeats Northern Ireland 1-0 in UEFA Nations League

Bulgaria
Bulgaria
1–0
FT
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Sep 8, 2024

Bulgaria stunned Northern Ireland with a 1-0 victory in their UEFA Nations League match on September 8, 2024. The only goal came from K. Despodov in the 40th minute, assisted by Aleksandar Kolev. Despite facing a stern test from Northern Ireland, Bulgaria's defense held firm to secure the points.

Key Facts

  • • Final Score: Bulgaria 1 - 0 Northern Ireland
  • • Goal: K. Despodov (40') - Assisted by Aleksandar Kolev
  • • Yellow Cards: Aleksandar Kolev (Bulgaria), S. Charles (Northern Ireland), P. McNair (Northern Ireland), C. Bradley (Northern Ireland), A. Ahmedov (Bulgaria), Trai Hume (Northern Ireland), Fabian Nürnberger (Bulgaria)

Lineups

Bulgaria

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Starting XI

  • 1 D. Mitov (G)
  • 16 V. Popov
  • 3 Z. Atanasov (D)
  • 5 A. Petkov (D)
  • 13 F. Nürnberger (D)
  • 7 G. Kostadinov (M)
  • 4 I. Gruev (M)
  • 11 K. Despodov (M)
  • 17 M. Minchev (M)
  • 8 R. Kirilov (M)
  • 9 A. Kolev (F)

Substitutes

  • 19 A. Ahmedov
  • 20 Z. Dimitrov
  • 18 V. Panayotov
  • 15 S. Petrov
  • 22 S. Ivanov
  • 14 G. Rusev
  • 21 S. Vutsov
  • 12 I. Minchev
  • 23 I. Dyulgerov
  • 6 V. Antov
  • 10 G. Minchev
  • 2 E. Tombak

Northern Ireland

Formation: 3-4-3

Starting XI

  • 1 B. Peacock-Farrell (G)
  • 4 D. Ballard (D)
  • 17 P. McNair (D)
  • 22 C. Brown (D)
  • 5 T. Hume (M)
  • 19 S. Charles (M)
  • 6 G. Saville (M)
  • 3 J. Lewis (M)
  • 2 C. Bradley (F)
  • 10 D. Charles (F)
  • 14 I. Price (F)

Substitutes

  • 9 S. Lavery
  • 8 C. Marshall
  • 11 P. Smyth
  • 16 A. McCann
  • 7 R. McCausland
  • 23 J. Clarke
  • 20 E. Galbraith
  • 13 C. Evans
  • 21 J. Magennis
  • 18 E. Toal
  • 15 B. Lyons
  • 12 L. Southwood

Timeline

  1. Bulgaria
    ?' Bulgaria Card · Yellow Card
    Aleksandar Kolev

    Argument

  2. Northern Ireland
    27' Northern Ireland Card · Yellow Card
    S. Charles

    Foul

  3. Northern Ireland
    29' Northern Ireland Card · Yellow Card
    P. McNair

    Foul

  4. Bulgaria
    40' Bulgaria Goal · Normal Goal
    K. Despodov · Assist: Aleksandar Kolev
  5. Northern Ireland
    59' Northern Ireland Card · Yellow Card
    C. Bradley

    Foul

  6. Northern Ireland
    59' Northern Ireland subst · Substitution 1
    Off: D. Charles · On: S. Lavery
  7. Bulgaria
    63' Bulgaria subst · Substitution 1
    Off: Aleksandar Kolev · On: A. Ahmedov
  8. Bulgaria
    72' Bulgaria subst · Substitution 2
    Off: R. Kirilov · On: Z. Dimitrov
  9. Bulgaria
    72' Bulgaria subst · Substitution 3
    Off: M. Minchev · On: Vasil Panayotov
  10. Northern Ireland
    73' Northern Ireland subst · Substitution 2
    Off: P. McNair · On: C. Marshall
  11. Northern Ireland
    73' Northern Ireland subst · Substitution 3
    Off: G. Saville · On: P. Smyth
  12. Bulgaria
    78' Bulgaria Card · Yellow Card
    A. Ahmedov

    Foul

  13. Bulgaria
    78' Bulgaria subst · Substitution 4
    Off: Georgi Kostadinov · On: S. Petrov
  14. Bulgaria
    78' Bulgaria subst · Substitution 5
    Off: K. Despodov · On: S. Ivanov
  15. Northern Ireland
    81' Northern Ireland Card · Yellow Card
    Trai Hume

    Foul

  16. Northern Ireland
    82' Northern Ireland subst · Substitution 4
    Off: I. Price · On: Alistair McCann
  17. Northern Ireland
    83' Northern Ireland subst · Substitution 5
    Off: Trai Hume · On: R. McCausland
  18. Bulgaria
    90'+1 Bulgaria Card · Yellow Card
    Fabian Nürnberger

    Time wasting

Match Stats

Stat Bulgaria Northern Ireland
Fouls 19 12
Pass Accuracy 78% 77%
Offsides 2 1
Red Cards — —
Total Shots 9 8
Corners 2 4
Total Passes 346 375
Yellow Cards 3 4
Blocked Shots 2 1
Shots on Target 3 3
xG — —
Shots off Target 4 4
Possession 48% 52%
Goals Prevented — —
Accurate Passes 270 287
Shots Inside Box 6 4
Saves 3 2
Shots Outside Box 3 4

Key Match Notes

  • ▸ Bulgaria took the lead in the 40th minute with a goal from K. Despodov, which proved crucial in securing their victory.
  • ▸ Northern Ireland suffered multiple yellow cards, affecting their ability to mount a comeback, particularly with S. Charles and P. McNair receiving cautions early in the game.