Spain vs Bulgaria Prediction for 15 October 2025 - Football

🔈 Can "La Roja" secure another dominant victory in the fourth round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers? This coming Tuesday, the José Zorrilla Stadium, home to Real Valladolid, will host a face-off between the national teams of Spain and Bulgaria. While Luis de la Fuente's squad is on the brink of securing their spot in the World Cup finals, the "Lions" are almost certainly out of contention for a place in the most prestigious international tournament. Bookmakers heavily favor the home side, offering odds that suggest a 60-fold advantage, dismissing any chance of success for the visitors.

Head-to-Head

📊 The national teams of Spain and Bulgaria have squared off six times. During this stretch, the "Lions" have yet to taste victory, suffering five defeats and securing just one draw. Let's highlight the average scoring for each side in these head-to-head clashes: Spain averages 4.33 goals, while Bulgaria manages just 0.33. Their most recent encounter, part of the ongoing qualifying cycle, saw the "Red Fury" claim a commanding 3-0 victory.

Spain Team Overview

🔴 The Spanish national team shows no signs of weakness in the current qualifying cycle. The reigning European champions top the standings after three rounds, having secured the maximum possible 9 points. A glance at their goal difference—11 scored and none conceded—further underscores their dominance. Mikel Merino has been instrumental in Spain's attacking prowess, netting 4 goals. Notably, under Luis de la Fuente's leadership, Spain have never lost a home match in regulation time in official competitions. This daunting record looms large for the Bulgarian squad set to visit Valladolid.

🔵 In their last qualifying match, "La Roja" faced a resilient Georgia side (2-0). Despite hopes that Willy Sagnol's team could challenge the Spaniards, the hosts comfortably dispatched the "Crusaders." The expected goals statistics highlight the European champions' dominance: 3.93 to 0.01. Even Georgia's head coach was in awe of Spain's masterful performance, likening them to players from "another planet." It's no surprise that bookmakers consider Spain among the top contenders for the upcoming World Cup victory—they currently lead the FIFA world rankings.

Bulgaria Team Overview

⚪ The "Lions" are the clear underdogs in their qualifying group and are unlikely to make their first World Cup appearance since 1998. In their opening three matches of the qualifiers, Bulgaria suffered defeats across the board, managing to score just one goal. Currently, their goal difference stands at a dismal 1:12. Over their last 15 away games, Bulgaria have claimed victory just once — against Luxembourg (1-0) during the 2024-25 UEFA Nations League campaign. Statistical evidence suggests that the "Lions" have virtually no chance of pulling off an upset this coming Tuesday.

🟢 Ahead of the October fixtures, Bulgaria's head coach Ilian Iliev was dismissed, with Aleksandar Dimitrov stepping in as his replacement after spending seven years with the Bulgarian U21 team. Dimitrov's debut match ended in another setback — a humiliating 6-1 defeat to Turkey at the Vasil Levski Stadium in Sofia. Over the past three years, the "Lions" have secured just one win, a situation that neither the football federation's leadership nor the team's passionate fans find acceptable. Whether Dimitrov can turn things around remains to be seen over time.

Latest news

Spain

🎤 Following the 2-0 victory over Georgia, Luis de la Fuente shared his thoughts on his team's performance: “We have an outstanding group of young players, many talented footballers, and that's a source of pride for us, not a concern. I'm fortunate—we have an endless supply of talent. Against Georgia, we lacked a bit of precision, but that's football: it brings us back to reality and shows us what we're truly achieving—and that's very important. We could have won by a larger margin, but to reach what we've already accomplished, everything must be done exceptionally well. If you speak calmly and naturally, praise can be accepted normally. We must continue to improve. Compliments won't weaken us. We haven't achieved anything yet. There's no arrogance—quite the opposite. This is a wonderful team. I have excellent players, but even better people,” said the head coach of the Spanish national team.

❌ Even with a significant number of injured players, the Spanish team continues to secure positive results and steadily move towards World Cup qualification. In the injury list are Dean Huijsen, Dani Carvajal, Gavi, Dani Olmo, Fermin Lopez, Isco, Lamine Yamal, and Ayoze Perez.

Bulgaria

🎤 After taking office, Alexander Dimitrov spoke to the media and made several promises: “For me, results have always been a priority. The fantastic work we've done with the youth, we now want to bring to the senior team. We've held our own against very strong opponents – the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Poland. That's what we're striving for. The captain's armband? It has been a contentious issue for many years. We will sit down, talk with the players; today we had our first discussion. I mentioned that we have methods to determine who can take on this responsibility, we have criteria. Whoever meets them will lead Bulgaria as captain in the upcoming matches. For me, this isn't the most important thing, although it might be for you. The main thing is they take responsibility – both in training and in competition.”

❌ Among the players sidelined due to injuries are Valentin Antov (torn cruciate ligament), Alex Petkov (muscle injury), and Simeon Petrov (shinbone injury).

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

🟨 Referee and Yellow Cards

The upcoming qualifier will be officiated by a team of referees led by Frenchman Willy Delajod. Notably, this referee is known for his leniency, averaging around 3.97 yellow cards per match. In 8 out of his last 10 games, he has issued no more than 4 cautions. In the most recent head-to-head between the "Red Fury" and the "Lions," there was only 1 significant foul leading to a card. We suggest the following bet – total yellow cards under 4.5.

⚽ Goal Prediction

In 9 of Spain's last 10 matches, at least 3 goals have been scored. A similar pattern is seen in Bulgaria's last 7 games. The attacking prowess of the "Red Fury" is formidable and is likely to pose significant challenges for the "Lions." Consider the average goals per game for each team over the past year: Spain – 4.3, Bulgaria – 3.4. Based on these insights, we recommend – total over 4 goals.

🚩 Corner Prediction

Let's note the average number of corners in matches involving each team: Spain – 8.8, Bulgaria – 8.1. In 7 of the last 8 matches for the "Red Fury," there have been no more than 10 corner kicks. A similar trend is observed in 6 of the last 7 games for the "Lions." The most sensible bet here is total corners under 11.5.

The situation within the Bulgarian national team is nearing a crisis point—they're struggling to secure victories, and their style of play continues to disappoint fans. A change in head coach is unlikely to yield immediate results or propel the "Lions" forward in their development. Our editorial team anticipates a high-scoring match, with the hosts likely to dominate completely. Another resounding victory, perhaps a 5-0 scoreline, is not out of the question. The key pick is over 4 goals total.