Bulgaria vs Estonia – News and Probable Lineups

Bulgária will host Estônia at the Stadion Hristo Botev on Tuesday for the second matchday of the UEFA Nations League 2026-27 season.

In their opener, the Lions suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Luxemburgo at home, whereas the Blues managed to draw 1-1 with Islândia at Laugardalsvollur.

Match overview

After a challenging World Cup qualifying campaign where they lost five out of six matches, finishing last in a group that included Espanha, Turquia, and Geórgia, Bulgária’s results in 2026 have been mixed.

Aleksandar Dimitrov’s team began the year positively, achieving victories against the Ilhas Solomon and Indonésia for a perfect start to the inaugural FIFA Series tournament. However, they stumbled in subsequent friendlies, losing 1-0 to Montenegro at home and failing to maintain a lead twice in a 2-2 draw against Moldávia at Stadionul Zimbru.

After narrowly missing promotion to League B, losing 4-2 on aggregate to the Republic of Irlanda in last year’s playoff, the Lions are likely frustrated with their start in the latest Nations League campaign, having given up an early lead to lose to Luxemburgo in their first fixture.

As they face Estônia in their second match, a team they have not lost to in their previous three encounters, Bulgária will be eager to bounce back quickly, especially before their consecutive away fixtures in the tournament.

Despite also having a tough World Cup qualifying journey, where they won only two out of eight matches and finished above only Moldávia at the bottom of Group I, Estônia have rebounded remarkably well from their disappointing campaign.

They did endure a loss to Ruanda in their second FIFA Series match, but the Blues are currently on their best run of form since September 2022, having secured four consecutive victories leading up to this Nations League campaign, including clinching their third Baltic Cup title by defeating Lituânia.

Going into their opener of the Nations League against Islândia, the Blues found themselves trailing 1-0 at halftime against a team ranked 53 places ahead of them in FIFA rankings. However, they rallied back to maintain their unbeaten streak with a second-half equalizer from Maksim Paskoti, garnering a point in Reykjavik on Saturday.

As Estônia travels to Stadion Hristo Botev on Tuesday, seeking to overcome their previous loss to Bulgária when they met away, they will aim to leverage their recent form to create history on matchday two and enhance their push for promotion in Group 4.

Team News

Bulgária will be notably missing their impactful midfielder Ivaylo Chochev from Ludogorets due to an ongoing knee issue that is expected to keep him sidelined for all four remaining Nations League matches.

Joining him on the injury list are Kiril Despodov and Filip Krastev, both recovering from foot and knee issues respectively, while Petko Hristov was not selected for the squad due to a lack of playing time.

On a positive note, Leeds midfielder Ilia Gruev has fully recovered from his lengthy knee injury and played the complete 90 minutes on Saturday.

Additionally, Yoan Stoyanov is back in the national squad after a two-year hiatus, and 27-year-old Asen Chandarov made only his second-ever appearance for Bulgária against Luxemburgo, where he scored a goal.

For Estônia, their second top scorer Rauno Sappinen is currently out due to an unspecified injury and is joined on the sidelines by Nikita Mihhailov, Tony Varjund, Kristo Hussar, and Marten-Chris Paalberg.

Head coach Jurgen Henn is also missing 35-year-old forward Henri Anier, who suffered a thigh injury on September 19, while Vladislav Kreida is absent due to health concerns.

Furthermore, 29-year-old winger Vlasiy Sinyaxiy is out for the foreseeable future after suffering a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tear playing for FC Banik Ostrava last month.

Bulgária probable starting XI:

Naumov; Turitsov, K. Dimitrov, Ivanov, Velkoxi; Tsenov, Gruev, Chandarov; Rusev, Petkov, Z. Dimitrov

Estonia probable starting XI:

Hay; Peetson, Paskotsi, Kuusk, Mets, Schjonning-Larsen; Palumets, Poom, Kait; Ainsalu, Black Forest

Following a challenging beginning to their Nations League journey, it is essential for Bulgária to secure a win on Tuesday if they wish to contend for a promotion spot to League B in November.

However, facing an Estônia side that has bounced back impressively from their World Cup struggles, they may find it difficult to regain their form and could face another setback in matchday two.