Preview: Bosnia-Herzegovina vs. Germany – prediction, team news, lineups

They're sitting pretty at the top of their UEFA Nations League section and Germany When they meet, they will try to take another step closer to the quarter-finals Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday at the Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica.

Julian Nagelsmann's team took four points from the first six on offer League A Group 3while their hosts are in third place and still looking for their first win of this year's tournament.

Game preview

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After a difficult quarter-final exit from the home European Championship, vengeful Germany secured an early victory in the Nations League with a 5-0 win over Hungary in the opening game, which saw five different names get on the scoresheet.

The team was well on its way to maintaining its 100 percent start in the Netherlands when Denis Undav And Joshua Kimmich cancelled Tijjani ReijndersThe opening goal in the second minute, only for Inter Milan's marauding full-back Denzel Dumfries to steal part of the loot for Oranje.

However, due to their superior defense, Germany are currently top of Group 3 of League A on goal difference, although second place would still be enough for a direct place in the quarter-finals next March before the semi-finals and final in June is carried out.

As respectable as a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands is, this result extended Germany's away woes, with the Euro 2024 quarter-finalists now having just four wins in their last 13 games outside German territory.

What's more, remarkably, the team have only won one of their nine Nations League games away from home so far – drawing each of their last four such games – but few should expect Bosnia to prevent Nagelsmann's men from going two points to ten on Friday achieve.

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Bosnia, which has been moving from League B to League A since the founding of the Nations League, already seems to be prepared for another duel with Hungary in order to avoid finishing last and automatically being relegated back to the second division.

The Dragons' current third-place finish would give them the safety net of a relegation/promotion playoff, but Sergei BarbaretsBy one point, the Hungarians beat the Hungarians only on goal difference because, unlike the Hungarians, they actually managed to put the ball in the net.

Both of those goals came on the opening day against the Netherlands, but Bosnia scored five times at the wrong end of the field and suffered a crushing 5-2 defeat before a goalless draw to ensure they finished the first round of games in third place would Hungary.

That 0-0 ended a terrible run of seven straight defeats for the Dragons, who lost their last four Euro 2024 qualifiers, extending their wait for a first appearance at the continental championships as an independent nation, despite appearing at the 2014 World Cup lined up cup.

The hosts can take comfort from a three-game home winning streak in the Nations League, although they have never won a single victory against Germany as an independent nation, most recently losing 3-1 in a friendly in 2010 Bastian Schweinsteiger scored twice from the penalty spot.

Form of the Nations League Bosnia-Herzegovina:

Bosnia and Herzegovina form (all competitions):

Form of the German Nations League:

Germany form (all competitions):

Team news

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He has reportedly been struggling with minor knee problems since the start of the season and is an Arsenal shooter Kai Havertz is one of five players left out of the German national team's squad for this month's games. The FC Bayern Munich playmaker is also on this list Jamal Musiala.

David Raum, Benjamin Henrichs And Robin Cook are also canceled, which led to call-ups Robin Gosens, Kevin Shame and the duo without a cap Jamie Leweling And Jonathan Burkardt.

On Friday there will be at least one debut in the senior national team, as none of the three German goalkeepers – Oliver Baumann, Alexander Nübel And Janis Blaswich – have ever played for the team that can do without the eliminated team Manuel Neuer and long-time knee victim Marc-André ter Stegen.

As for Bosnia, Barbarez only suffered one withdrawal in the form of the 26-year-old midfielder Ifet Dakovacalthough he is still uncapped for the senior team and therefore won't be a huge failure.

The Dragons are still led by a timeless forward Edin Dzekowho at the age of 38 still plays for Fenerbahce and has an impressive nine goals from 13 games in all tournaments in the 2024/25 season.

Dzeko should be supported in attack by a Bundesliga striker Ermedin Demirovicwho, as a former Arsenal man, plies his trade for Stuttgart Sead Kolasinac leads the backline.

Bosnia-Herzegovina possible starting lineup:
Vasily; Gazibegovic, Kolasinac, Bicakcic, Katic, Dedic; Tahorivic, Hajradanovic; Basic; Demirovic, Dzeko

Germany possible starting lineup:
Baumann; Kimmich, Tah, Rüdiger, Mittelstadt; Wirtz, Andrich, Gross, Gnabry; Undav, Burkardt

We say: Bosnia-Herzegovina – Germany 0:2

Germany coach Nagelsmann may be without a host of famous names due to injury or retirement from the national team, but a struggling Bosnian team is unlikely to pose much of a threat to the visitors in either case.

A comfortable win for the team is the only result we can imagine before Germany takes on the Netherlands in next Monday's blockbuster clash.

For data analysis of the most likely outcomes, scores and more for this game, please click here.

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