The team is out!
Ireland: Kelleher; Doherty, Collins, O’Shea, Manning; Cullen, Knight; Johnston, Azaz, Brady; Parrott.
Bulgaria: Mitov; Popov, Atanasov, Petkov, Nuernberger; Despodov, Krastev, Gruev, Petkov; Kraev, Petkov.
What is at stake in Ireland’s Nations League playoff against Bulgaria?
So, what’s the deal with us playing Bulgaria on Thursday and Sunday?
Well, this time around a third-place League B group finish sent you in to a promotion/relegation playoff with a League C runner-up – and Bulgaria came out of the hat in the draw. They finished second to Northern Ireland in their group, while we were a distant third behind England and Greece. Bottom nation Finland, who we beat home and away, were automatically relegated to League C.
If we lose to Bulgaria over the two legs, they take our League B place, then?
Exactly. And we would drop down to League C for the first time, where we’d be mixing it with the likes of San Marino, the Faroe Islands and Moldova (no offence) in the 2026-27 competition, which starts in the autumn of next year.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Ireland’s Nations League promotion/relegation playoff against Bulgaria, from the Hristo Bolev Stadium in Plovdiv. Kick-off is at 7.45pm. Ireland finished third in their League B group behind England and Greece so must face a playoff to avoid falling into League C. Bulgaria are the opposition, who aren’t the behemoths that they were in the 1990s in Hristo Stoichkov’s day, but you could say the same about Ireland given our recent record. Avoiding defeat is crucial in the first leg to give Heimir Hallgrímsson’s men the best chance of winning the tie in the second leg in Dublin, and staying in League B for the following season.
The starting line-ups will follow when they are available.
Republic of Ireland Squad
Goalkeepers: Caoimhín Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (Middlesbrough, on loan from AFC Bournemouth), Gavin Bazunu (Standard Liége, on loan from Southampton).
Defenders: Jake O’Brien (Everton), Matt Doherty (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Nathan Collins (Brentford), Dara O’Shea (Ipswich Town), Jimmy Dunne (Queens Park Rangers), James Abankwah (Watford, on loan from Udinese), Robbie Brady (Preston North End), Ryan Manning (Southampton).
Midfielders: Josh Cullen (Burnley), Jason Knight (Bristol City), Jack Taylor (Ipswich Town), Mark Sykes (Bristol City), Finn Azaz (Middlesbrough), Andrew Moran (Stoke City, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion).
Attackers: Evan Ferguson (West Ham United, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion), Adam Idah (Celtic), Troy Parrott (AZ Alkmaar), Sinclair Armstrong (Bristol City), Mikey Johnston (West Bromwich Albion), Rocco Vata (Watford).
