In the UEFA 2018 World Cup qualifiers, Bulgaria will host the Netherlands at the Vasil Levski National Stadium this Saturday, March 25, 2017 (12:45 PM Pacific). Both teams are in a contested Group A of the competition with France and Sweden in the group as well and need to pick up points from this match.
Bulgaria has done well in this Group A of the UEFA World Cup qualifiers, currently in fourth place with six points, only a point away from the Netherlands in second and four points away from France in first. The Lions have two wins and two losses in this campaign, the two wins coming at home against Belarus, 1-0, and Luxembourg, 4-3. A win in this match is a necessity for Bulgaria’s World Cup aspirations to remain alive.
Petar Hubchev will count with a strong side for this match with Aleksandar Tonev and Ivelin Popov being some of the standout players on the team. The home-field advantage can prove to be a huge factor in this game for the Bulgarian side and it will be interesting to see if The Lions can take advantage of it.
The Netherlands is currently in second place with Seven points in this qualifying stage, having two wins, one draw and a loss. The Dutch side has also managed to beat the weaker teams in the group, beating Belarus, 4-1, and Luxembourg, 3-1. Against the tougher opponents, Holland has not done as well drawing 1-1 to Sweden and losing 1-0 to France at home. Danny Blind will count with a much stronger side than his opponent, with players from some of the top leagues in Europe. Some of the standouts being Kevin Strootman, Georginio Wijnaldum and Arjen Robben.
The captain, Robben will, of course, be the main player to watch, but other under-the-radar players like Bas Dost and Quincy Promes can also make a difference. Bas Dost is having an excellent campaign with Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, scoring 24 goals. Quincy Promes can also make a difference in the match accustomed to the intense, physical style of play Bulgaria utilizes, playing with Spartak Moscow in the Russian League. The match should be a hard-fought encounter, which can really go either way, even though the Netherlands do appear to be the favorites going into the match.
How to Watch Bulgaria vs the Netherlands
The Bulgaria vs Netherlands match will be broadcast this Saturday, March 25 at 12:45 PM Pacific:
TV Schedule: ESPN Deportes, ESPN 3
Watch Live Online: Sling TV (Watch 7 Days Free)
