Five talking points from Petev's Bulgaria debut

Atmosphere improving
Despite kicking off with a win in Azerbaijan, Bulgaria's qualifying campaign quickly veered off the rails thereafter, with Luboslav Penev paying the price late last year after his side managed just one point from their next three games. The mood in the camp was low, but new coach Ivaylo Petev has clearly overseen an improvement already, judging by Bulgaria's togetherness in their 2-2 draw with Italy. The players all fought hard against their illustrious opponents, bringing grit and urgency to bear, and spoke afterwards about a positive ambience in the dressing room.

Popov best placed behind the striker
Probably Bulgaria's most gifted attacking player at the moment, Ivelin Popov presents something of a conundrum. The FC Kuban Krasnodar man has operated as a striker, in the hole and out on the flanks, but the game against Italy may have finally revealed his best position. Popov was tucked in behind Ilian Micanski and used the space well, not least when he needed just one touch to free himself on 11 minutes, picked out his angle and found the net. In this position, he can receive the ball and roam, a tactic that may be very well suited to Petev's ideas.

Ivelin Popov scored against Italy©AFP/Getty Images

Petev's goalkeeping dilemma
Bulgaria have used two goalkeepers in their five qualifiers thus far, with Vladislav Stoyanov making three appearances to Nikolay Mihaylov's two, though it was the latter who took on the Azzurri. Both have their qualities but can still look shaky at times – with their performances surely not helped by being swapped in and out. "I do not understand goalkeeping," said Petev on Saturday. "We have a goalkeeping coach and all the staff consulted carefully and decided to use Mihaylov."

Fitness levels lacking
One point made by Petev and all the players after the match was that they suffered from tiredness in the last 20 minutes as Italy pressed for a winner. Of course, the heavy pitch and rain played a role, but it was clear that Bulgaria struggled physically in the latter stages. If they hope to maintain their hopes of a third-place finish, better fitness levels are a must.

Bulgaria need a helping hand
With Norway losing 5-1 at Croatia earlier in the day, Bulgaria needed a result to stay in the race for third spot from qualifying Group H. Clinching a point against an international heavyweight like Italy will surely raise confidence, but the reality is that Petev's men need other results to go their way. They trail Norway by four points in fourth and although they will host their Scandinavian rivals in September, they also face away games in Croatia, Italy and Malta.