Top News

Moldova and Bulgaria will return to action on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 01:00 WITA (Lombok time, NTB) when they face off in a friendly encounter at Zimbru Stadium.

With both nations missing out on qualification for the FIFA World Cup, they will be eager to build momentum ahead of the 2026 UEFA Nations League, which begins in September.

Moldova continued their poor run in their last outing, suffering a 3-2 defeat against Cyprus in a friendly at Stadio Dasaki Achnas on March 30.

That result extended coach Lilian Popescu’s side’s winless streak to 13 matches across all competitions, with 10 losses and three draws since their narrow 1-0 win over Andorra in November 2024.

This string of disappointing results also saw Moldova fail to qualify for the World Cup after a frustrating qualifying campaign, finishing bottom of Group I with only one point from eight matches.

Meanwhile, Bulgaria’s perfect record in 2026 came to an end on Monday as they lost 1-0 to Montenegro in a friendly at Hristo Botev Stadium.

Under the guidance of Aleksandar Dimitrov, Bulgaria had won their previous three matches in all competitions, including back-to-back victories over the Solomon Islands and Indonesia during the FIFA Series in March.

Like Moldova, Bulgaria also fell short in their World Cup qualifying campaign, finishing last in Group E with three points from six matches.

Head-to-Head: Moldova vs Bulgaria

• This will be the third meeting between Moldova and Bulgaria, with Dimitrov’s side having won both previous encounters.
• Both earlier meetings took place in UEFA European Championship qualifiers, where Bulgaria earned a 4-1 home victory in November 1994 before claiming another 3-0 win at Stadionul Republican five months later.
• Moldova have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 13 matches, remaining winless during that stretch since their 1-0 victory over Andorra in November 2024.
• Bulgaria, on the other hand, have not won any of their last six friendly matches, recording two defeats and four draws since their 1-0 win over Tanzania in March 2024.

Team News: Moldova vs Bulgaria

With Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Ion Nicolaescu still sidelined due to an ACL injury, Petru Popescu is once again expected to lead Moldova’s attack.

The 24-year-old has only made two international appearances but has been in fine form domestically, scoring 15 league goals for Petrocub Hincesti in the Super Liga this season and netting against Cyprus in the previous friendly for the Tricolorii.

After scoring off the bench in his last appearance, it remains to be seen whether midfielder Victor Stina will be included in the starting lineup on Friday.

The visitors are also missing their main striker, with PAOK’s Kiril Despodov still recovering from a finger injury, meaning Tonislav Yordanov is expected to step in.

Dimitrov’s side will also be without star midfielder Ilia Gruev, as the Leeds United player continues his rehabilitation from a meniscus injury sustained in training.

Predicted Line-ups: Moldova vs Bulgaria

Moldova: Cojuha; Stefan, Baboglo, Dumbravanu; Revenco, Rata, Lungu, Puscas, Gherasimencov; Fratea, Popescu

Bulgaria: Naumov; Galchev, Dinitrov, Ivanov, Velkovski; Panayotov, Kraev, Iliev; M. Petkov, Yordanov, L. Petkov

Score Predictions: Moldova vs Bulgaria

Sportskeeda’s Prediction

Although both Moldova and Bulgaria will not be part of the World Cup, they are looking to gain rhythm ahead of the Nations League later this year.

Despite their loss to Montenegro, Bulgaria enter the weekend as the fitter side, and we back them to compound Moldova’s struggles.

Predicted Score: Moldova 1-2 Bulgaria

Sportsmole’s Prediction

Neither team is preparing for a major tournament this summer, but both Moldova and Bulgaria will be eager to bounce back from defeats in their last matches, which could make this a tight contest.

However, we believe that even after a narrow loss to Montenegro, Bulgaria will prove too strong and will secure their third win in four matches.

Predicted Score: Moldova 1-2 Bulgaria

TribunLombok’s Prediction

At first glance, Bulgaria appear to be the favourites. They boast a slightly stronger squad, a perfect head-to-head record against Moldova, and a relatively stable form throughout 2026.

However, several factors suggest the match could be more balanced than many expect. Bulgaria are without key players like Kiril Despodov and Ilia Gruev — two figures crucial to the team’s creativity and balance. Their absence could affect Bulgaria’s attacking threat.

On the other hand, Moldova are enduring a 13-match winless run, but their 2-3 defeat to Cyprus showed improvements in attack. Petru Popescu’s confidence is growing after a prolific club season and scoring in the last match.

Since this is a friendly, both coaches are likely to give opportunities to rotation players, which often makes such matches more open and unpredictable than competitive fixtures.

Bulgaria may still dominate possession, but their struggles in friendlies have been notable, having failed to win any of their last six. Meanwhile, Moldova could use home support to end part of their negative streak.

Predicted Score: Moldova 1-1 Bulgaria