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Key moments
End of the match
FINAL! The match at the José Zorrilla Stadium is over. It was a landslide victory for the Spanish team, which confirms its leadership in the group at the end of this matchday. A great victory for Luis De La Fuente's team, which is one step away from sealing its qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
GOOOOOAL!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! GOOOOOOOOOAL! GOAL for Spain! Mikel Oyarzabal scores the fourth goal of the match. The midfielder took the ball to take the penalty and shot to the left, leaving goalkeeper Svetoslav Vutsov motionless.
PENALTY!
PENALTY! Penalty for Spain! The referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty for a foul by Martin Georgiev on Mikel Merino in the box. This opens up the possibility of a fourth goal in the match before the final whistle.
Additional time
The match is coming to an end. The clock shows that we have reached the 90th minute... Before the referee blows the whistle to end the match, he will add three minutes of stoppage time. There was a substitution for Bulgaria, with Andrian Kraev coming on for Ilia Gruev.
Spain came close. The home team tried again to score the fourth goal of the match. Yeremy Pino took the shot, but goalkeeper Svetoslav Vutsov prevented Luis De La Fuente's team from scoring. They continued to try to score.
There is another substitution for the Bulgarian team. Coach Aleksandar Dimitrov is now looking to freshen up his team. Kristiyan Stoyanov enters the field to replace Stanislav Shopov. We are in the final stretch of the game.
GOOOAL!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! GOOOOAL! GOAL for the Spanish team! The third goal of the match comes thanks to an own goal by Atanas Chernev, who tried to clear the ball after a cross, but ended up putting it into his own net.
There are less than 15 minutes left in the game. The Spanish team continues to have possession of the ball as they try to increase their lead. Bulgaria has had two clear chances in the game, but failed to capitalize on them.
The last substitution in Spain is made. Coach Luis De La Fuente sends Daniel Vivian onto the pitch to replace Robin Le Normand. We are approaching the half-hour mark in the second half.
Spain is closing in! The home team is looking for a third goal, and Pablo Barrios has come on to cause havoc. He takes a shot from mid-range, aiming to place the ball in the left corner, but it goes just wide of the post. The score remains 2-0.
Several substitutions are now being made. In Spain, Pablo Barrios has come on for Pedri. Meanwhile, in Bulgaria, Zdravko Dimitrov, Marin Petkov, and Vladimir Nikolov have come on to replace Kiril Despodov, Martin Minchev, and Radoslav Kirilov.
Two new substitutions are made in the Spanish national team. Luis De La Fuente has decided to make two changes and sends Yeremy Pino and Aleix García onto the pitch to replace Álex Baena and Martin Zubimendi.
BULGARIA MISSED IT! Another chance wasted by Kiril Despodov. Just like in the first half, after receiving a pass behind the visiting team's defense, this time he was able to shoot low across goal, but it went wide to the right. It was the goal to pull one back.
GOOOOOAL!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! GOOOOOAL! Goal for Spain! Mikel Merino scores again! The Arsenal player reappears in the box to score Spain's second goal with the same aerial play, striking the ball after a cross from Alejandro Grimaldo from the left.
SPAIN HAD ANOTHER CHANCE! It's unbelievable that the home team still hasn't scored. Once again, the ball reached Borja Iglesias, this time from a cross sent in from the left, but the ball grazed the right post. It was the second goal.
SPAIN HAD IT! Another great save by Svetoslav Vutsov to prevent the home team from scoring their second goal. Borja Iglesias had another chance, continuing to try to break through the Bulgarian goalkeeper's defense. The score remains 1-0.
Spain came close. The home team tried to score with a shot from Borja Iglesias, aiming for the left post, but goalkeeper Svetoslav Vutsov caught the low shot. Luis De La Fuente's team is starting to make its presence felt.
The first few minutes of the second half of this match are underway. The Spanish team is maintaining the initiative, constantly attacking and looking to increase their lead. So far, not much has happened in the opening moments after the restart.
Second half begins!
THE MATCH RESUMES! The referee blows his whistle and orders the ball to be moved again, kicking off the second half. There has been a substitution for Spain, with Borja Iglesias replacing Samu Aghehowa.
End of the first half
FINAL! The first half ends at the José Zorrilla Stadium. The referee has blown the whistle to send the teams into the break after a first half that went from low to high intensity. No stoppage time was needed. Spain leads 1-0 at the moment.
BULGARIA HAD IT! Kiril Despodov missed it after receiving a pass behind the visiting team's defenders. However, he didn't have much of a shooting angle and his shot went wide to the right. A wake-up call.
SPAIN MISSED IT! Samu Aghehowa appeared in the box to shoot after a pass came in from the right when goalkeeper Svetoslav Vutsov made a mistake with his feet. However, the shot went wide. It was the second goal.
GOOOOOAL!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! GOOOOOOOAL! GOAL for Spain! Mikel Merino scores! The Arsenal player appeared in the box to head the ball into the net after a header from Le Norman following a cross from Pedri from a corner kick.
SPAIN HAD IT! ANOTHER GREAT SAVE BY SVETOSLAV VUTSOV! The goalkeeper made a great save, flying to send the ball over the crossbar after a shot by Mikel Oyarzabal. The score remains 0-0 thanks to the Bulgarian goalkeeper.
CLOSE CALL! SPAIN HAD IT! The home team came close to opening the scoring again. Pedri tried his luck with a shot inside the box that went just wide of the right post. The score remains goalless so far.
We are approaching the half-hour mark. Spain continues to press forward in search of the opening goal. So far, the score remains tied, but it is unclear how much longer the Bulgarian team will be able to hold out.
SPAIN HAD IT! GREAT SAVE BY SVETOSLAV VUTSOV! The goalkeeper made a great save, flying to his right to stop a powerful shot from Samu Aghehowa after he received the ball in the box. It remains 0-0 thanks to the Bulgarian goalkeeper.
BALL TO THE POST! SPAIN HAD IT! Pedri made a great run into the box with the ball and finished with quality as the goalkeeper came out, but the ball crashed off the crossbar and the crowd's cry of goal was stifled once again at the José Zorrilla.
SPAIN HAD IT! SAVED BY SVETOSLAV VUTSOV! Great reaction from the goalkeeper to save a powerful shot from Samu Aghehowa in the box after receiving a through ball. The first dangerous warning from the Spanish team in the match.
We've reached the first quarter of an hour of the match. The Spanish team's superiority is now very evident. So far, there haven't been any clear scoring opportunities, but the home team is putting pressure on their opponents, who remain pinned in their own half.
Spain came close. The home team created the first scoring opportunity... Well, the first attempt. Álex Baena had a chance with a mid-range shot, which went low and goalkeeper Svetoslav Vutsov caught the ball.
The first few minutes of the match are underway at the José Zorrilla Stadium. For now, both teams are speculating a lot about what they want to show on the pitch, although Spain has had possession of the ball practically the entire time. There are still no goals.
MATCH STARTS!
THE MATCH IS UNDERWAY! The referee blows his whistle and signals the start of the Spain vs Bulgaria match, corresponding to matchday 4 of Group E in the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Let's see which team comes out on top.
Substitutes - Bulgaria
1 Dimitar Mitov (GK), 13 Dimitar Sheytanov (GK), 2 Hristiyan Petrov 5 Kristian Dimitrov 6 Viktor Popov 7 Zdravko Dimitrov 8 Andrian Kraev 9 Vladimir Nikolov 12 Rosen Bozhinov 16 Marin Petkov 18 Ivaylo Chochev 19 Kristiyan Stoyanov
Starting XI - Bulgaria
1-4-3-3
| 21. Svetoslav Vutsov |
| 22. Dimitar Velkovski | 3. Atanas Chernev | 15. Petko Hristov | 20. Martin Georgiev |
| 23. Stanislav Shopov | 14. Filip Krastev | 4. Ilia Gruev |
| 10. Radoslav Kirilov | 11. Kiril Despodov | 17. Martin Minchev |
Coach: Aleksandar Dimitrov
Substitutes - Spain
These are the players available to the coach on the bench:
1. David Raya (GK), 13. Álex Remiro (GK), 2. Jorge De Frutos, 4. Pau Cubarsí, 5. Daniel Vivian, 7. Yeremy Pino, 8. Aleix García, 9. Borja Iglesias, 11. Jesus Rodríguez, 14. Marcos Llorente, 15. Pablo Barrios, 22. Marc Cucurella.
Starting XI - Spain
1-4-3-3
| 23. Unai Simon |
| 12. Pedro Porro | 3. Robin Le Normand | 10. Aymeric Laporte | 17. Alejandro Grimaldo |
| 6. Mikel Merino | 18. Martín Zubimendi | 20. Pedri |
| 21. Mikel Oyarzabal | 19. Samu Aghehowa | 16. Álex Baena |
Coach: Luis De La Fuente
Teams on the field
ALL SET! Estadio José Zorrilla welcomes the players of España and Italy to its pitch to resume their road to the World Cup. The fans in attendance are ready for this match. The ball will be rolling in a few minutes.
The lineups, coming soon…
Stay tuned to this broadcast! We are just minutes away from bringing you the latest news on the lineups for the Spain vs Bulgaria match at the Jose Zorrilla Stadium. In a few minutes, we will share with you the team news for this match.
The arrival of the Bulgarian national team
Amidst a rather expectant atmosphere, the Bulgarian national team delegation has arrived at the José Zorrilla Stadium. The visiting team is also putting the finishing touches in place before the start of the match. The kickoff is fast approaching.
The arrival of the Spanish national team
Last five matches - Bulgaria
October 11 - 2026 World Cup Qualifiers: 1-6 vs Turkey (Lost)
September 7 - 2026 World Cup Qualifiers: 3-0 vs Georgia (Lost)
September 4 - 2026 World Cup Qualifiers: 0-3 vs Spain (Lost)
June 10 - Friendly match: 4-0 vs Greece (Lost)
June 6 - Friendly match: 2-2 vs Cyprus
Last five matches - Spain
October 11 - 2026 World Cup Qualifiers: 2-0 vs Georgia (Won)
September 7 - 2026 World Cup Qualifiers: 0-6 vs Turkey (Won)
September 4 - 2026 World Cup Qualifiers: 0-3 vs Bulgaria (Won)
June 8 - UEFA Nations League: 2–2 vs. Portugal (Lost 3–2 on penalties)
June 5 - UEFA Nations League: 5-4 vs France (Won)
All set at the Jose Zorrilla Stadium
Everything is ready at the José Zorrilla Stadium. The pitch is in good condition and awaits the players, who have already arrived at the venue where the match will take place. Little by little, the fans are arriving to watch the game.
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