Petrov on course in Alpine quest

Captain Stilian Petrov says Bulgaria are strong contenders to reach the finals of UEFA EURO 2008™ after making a strong start to qualifying.

Serious contenders
Saturday's 1-1 draw against the Netherlands left them unbeaten in Group G, with Hristo Stoichkov's team having previously drawn 2-2 in Romania and won 3-0 against Slovenia. "Many people across Europe doubted our ability but after the results in our opening matches, I think everyone will begin to take us seriously," said Petrov.

Good omen
The 27-year-old Aston Villa FC midfielder believes the calibre of their performance against the Netherlands in Sofia augurs well for Wednesday's trip to Luxembourg, saying: "We knew the Netherlands are a strong side but we were very well organised. We played with our hearts and we got what we wanted."

Goalscorer suspended
Bulgaria's weekend goalscorer Martin Petrov will miss the Luxembourg encounter through suspension, but his skipper remains positive about the team's prospects. "It's clear we have players who can perform very well and with a little more self-confidence we can achieve a lot," he said.