Germany takes on Bosnia-Herzegovina at the Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg on Saturday, knowing a point gained secures them atop of UEFA Nations League League A Group 3. Julian Nagelsmann’s men aim to keep their lead intact, whereas Bosnia fights for relevance, notwithstanding a disastrous campaign so far.
Match Preview
Germany’s Current Form and Objectives
Coming from a quarterfinal exit at the 2024 European Championships, Germany has rebooted pretty strongly into the Nations League, striking an unbeaten run in their first four and eventually locking up a quarterfinal spot with two games remaining.
Their two recent wins were 2-1 in a close victory against Bosnia courtesy of Deniz Undav and an important 1-0 win against the Netherlands, courtesy of their debutant Jamie Leweling. With their 10 points in the bag, Germany holds a good position to top their group. A win this coming Saturday would seal their position, and a draw could be ok except there was an extraordinary combination of results achieved by Hungary.
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Performance
Since its inception, Bosnia-Herzegovina have been yo-yoing between promotion and relegation in the UEFA Nations League. This spell in League A seems destined to conclude with yet another demotion. Having secured just a single point so far, this campaign has indeed been blighted by heavy defeats to Hungary 2-0, the Netherlands 5-2, and Germany 2-1.
For Bosnia to remain in the knockout stage, they need to win and get another in the fixture pitting Hungary against the Netherlands. However, their failure to win a match in 10 consecutive matches in all competitions puts into perspective the task ahead of Sergej Barbarez’s men.
Team News and Lineups
Germany
The injury and suspension list is also a cause of concern for Nagelsmann. Deniz Undav, the hero of their last Bosnia game, is out, Angelo Stiller and Nico Schlotterbeck are not available. Florian Wirtz remains a doubt as he is yet to fully recover from his illness.
Stefan Ortega of Manchester City is the eye-catching arrival in the squad and he will vie with Oliver Baumann and Alexander Nübel for the goalkeeper spot.
Probable Germany Starting XI:
Baumann; Kimmich, Tah, Rudiger, Mittelstadt; Andrich, Gross; Gnabry, Musiala, Sane; Havertz
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bosnia will be without defender Nikola Katic, suspended due to accumulated yellow cards, and Sead Kolasinac, who withdrew with an injury. Skipper Edin Džeko, still a force at 38, is expected to lead the line.
Probable Bosnia Starting XI:
Vasilj; Mujakic, Bicakcic, Barisic; Gazibegovic, Tahirovic, Hajradinovic, Huseinbasic, Dedic; Džeko, Demirovic
Prediction
The Germans boast an excellent home record, and are likely to dominate proceedings against Bosnia, who arrive with no form. The visitors managed to give the Germans a headache on home turf last month, but the hosts’ depth and quality should see them record a convincing victory.
Predicted Score: Germany 3-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
Key Match Insights
Germany’s Nations League Form: W-D-W-W
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Nations League Form: L-D-L-L
Their only previous encounter in 2010 in German soil finished with a 3-1 win for Germany against Bosnia, thus they have never lost at home to Bosnia.
With Germany’s consistency, and Bosnia struggling, this is an important and somewhat predictable match in setting up Nagelsmann’s men to confirm their dominance in League A Group 3.
