Bulgaria vs Turkey prediction, H2H and probable lineups - 11 October 2025
One of the key fixtures of the seventh round in the UEFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers will take place on Friday at the Vasil Levski Stadium in Sofia, where Bulgaria will host Turkey. Here’s our take on this intriguing matchup.
Match preview
Bulgaria heads into the clash against Turkey with changes at the helm. After a disappointing run in September, Ilian Iliev stepped down as head coach, making way for Bulgaria U21 boss Aleksandar Dimitrov to take charge.
Bulgaria is competing in the World Cup 2026 qualifying group alongside Spain, Georgia, and Turkey. The "Tricolours" have already faced the first two opponents, suffering identical 0-3 defeats in both encounters.
Turkey, led by Vincenzo Montella, kicked off their qualification campaign with a 3-2 win over Georgia but were then thrashed 0-6 by Spain on home soil. As a result, the team currently sits in third place.
It’s worth recalling that Turkey last featured at the World Cup back in 2002, when they sensationally claimed third place. Since then, the Turkish national team has failed to qualify for the global showpiece—a drought their passionate fans are desperate to end.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Bulgaria have lost all of their last three matches.
- Bulgaria have conceded in seven consecutive games.
- Turkey, meanwhile, have also conceded in four straight matches.
- Six of Turkey’s last seven fixtures have featured exactly two goals.
- These teams have faced each other twice—both times in friendlies, and on both occasions Turkey emerged victorious. The Turks first earned a 2-0 away win, then followed up with a commanding 4-0 victory at home.
Probable lineups
- Bulgaria: Vutsov - Tsenov, Dimitrov, Bozhinov, Nedyalkov - Kraev, Gruev, Chochev - Petkov, Kirilov, Nikolov
- Turkey: Çakir - Müldür, Demiral, Bardakci, Elmali - Yüksek, Çalhanoğlu, Güler - Akgün, Yildiz, Aktürkoğlu
Prediction
No doubt, Turkey appears to be the stronger side, but Bulgaria enter this match with a new head coach, which could inject fresh motivation and confidence after a string of setbacks. I expect the Bulgarians to put up a fight and deliver a respectable performance. I don’t see Turkey running away with this one—Bulgaria will definitely have their chances. My prediction: Asian handicap on Bulgaria (+2).
