The Georgians face Bulgaria in their final game of UEFA Nations League Group C on Sunday, knowing that a win could be enough to secure promotion to the second tier with kickoff at 7 pm.
Georgia looked likely to spend more time in the international doldrums under Willy Sagnol after losing five successive games between June and October last year. But Sagnol has spearheaded one of the most unexpected revivals on this stage in recent years, Georgia has now recorded seven wins and one draw from their last eight outings.
The 2-0 win over Sweden late last year remains the standout result, but Georgia has gone goal crazy in this competition, scoring 12 times in three outings. The latest spurt of strikes came in North Macedonia on Thursday as they took control of Group C4.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia contributed his third campaign goal during that match, but Sagnol will take greater satisfaction from how the goals have been shared around a united squad.
When Georgia is on the brink of promotion, Bulgaria is in complete disarray and just fired their head coach after an embarrassing loss to Gibraltar.
While one of the minnows of international football is improving all the time, their most notable result since emerging victorious in Armenia back in 2018 is a 1-1 draw against Georgia.
Georgia vs Bulgaria Head to Head
Both sides have seven games against each other, with hosts taking five wins and visitors with one. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- North Macedonia 0-3 Georgia
- Bulgaria 2-5 Georgia
- Georgia 4-0 Gilbraltar
- Albania 0-0 Georgia
Away
- Gilbraltar 1-1 Bulgaria
- Bulgaria 2-5 Georgia
- Bulgaria 1-1 North Macedonia
- Croatia 2-1 Bulgaria
Georgia Team News
Although the quick turnaround between fixtures may encourage Sagnol to make changes, he may opt for the bulk of the players who featured in North Macedonia. Otar Kiteishvili could be recalled in midfield after netting as a substitute during that contest, but Valeri Qazaishvili could stay among the replacements.
Bulgaria Team News
Georgi Milanov and Georgi Kostadinov could return to the midfield, with Filip Krastev likely dropping out of the team. With Gibraltar’s equaliser coming from the penalty spot, a four-person defense may be given another chance to impress.
Prediction and Odds
You can expect Bulgaria to respond after a disappointing result earlier this week. However, it may not be enough, and we are fully supporting Georgia, which looks like a force for qualification for Euro 2024.
- Georgia Win
- Goals Over 2.5
- Both Teams to Score
