Montenegro left Plovdiv with a 1-0 win that validated Robert Prosinečki's bench depth. Balša Sekulić scored in the 68th minute to punish Bulgaria's sterile control.
Prosinečki started in a 4-4-2 but pivoted sharply at half-time, introducing Sava Milić, Ognjen Gašević and Milutin Osmajić to stiffen the back line and stretch the Bulgarian press. The decisive punch belonged to the next wave: Marko Janković and Sekulić entered together in the 58th minute, and ten minutes later the substitute pair combined, Janković threading the ball for Sekulić to finish for the only goal. Montenegro never looked rattled afterwards, Slobodan Rubežić commanding the box while Stefan Lončar's replacement Marko Šimun tied up the right flank from the 80th minute.
I. Iliev lined Bulgaria up in a 4-3-3 anchored by Kristian Dimitrov and Teodor Ivanov, but the lack of incision in the first half prompted a triple switch at the break as Borislav Tsonev, Viktor Nikolov and Emil Tsenov tried to quicken the tempo. Later changes, including Georgi Rusev at 62 minutes and Hristiyan Petrov at 74 minutes, brought energy but also discipline issues. Rusev collected a yellow card for arguing in the 79th minute, Petrov slid late for a professional foul in the 84th minute and Tsonev capped the frustration with a stoppage-time booking at 90+3 minutes.
Bulgaria's possession spells lacked penetration because Petko Panayotov remained isolated before Martin Minchev replaced him in the 80th minute, while Marin Petkov and Lukas Petkov drifted inside, leaving little on the outside for Patrik Galchev before he made way for Ivan Turitsov in the 73rd minute. Without a focal point, Daniel Naumov's long distribution simply returned the ball to Montenegro, whose reorganised midfield boxed the space Lukas Petkov once found in the opening period.
Prosinečki will bank this clean sheet as evidence the defensive rotations can hold, especially with Nikola Šipčić slotting in for Milan Roganović in the 89th minute to close the line. Iliev, meanwhile, has to rediscover fluency before the next camp, his side still searching for a cutting edge as the summer window of friendlies continues across Europe with matches such as Croatia vs Belgium and Morocco vs Madagascar providing alternative blueprints.
Key incidents
- 58th minute: Montenegro introduced Marko Janković and Balša Sekulić.
- 68th minute: Sekulić scored, assisted by Janković.
- 79th minute: Georgi Rusev booked.
- 84th minute: Hristiyan Petrov booked.
- 90+3 minutes: Borislav Tsonev booked.
No official shot or possession breakdown was released, yet the pattern was obvious: Bulgaria dominated sterile ball circulation, Montenegro landed the one move that mattered. The next fixtures will reveal whether Iliev can turn that volume into goals or whether Prosinečki's disciplined template becomes Montenegro's default heading into competitive commitments.
