- Both Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina have drawn their opening match in this FIFA World Cup, Group B campaign, leaving them tied on one point.
- Switzerland are unbeaten in two and have drawn their last two matches, including against Qatar in Group B, whilst Bosnia and Herzegovina are unbeaten in five, winning two and drawing three.
- Switzerland can control games and keep possession, whilst Bosnia and Herzegovina are a direct, counter-attacking side that can score goals on the break.
Swiss ball control vs Bosnia's counter-attacking game
Both Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina have made similar starts to their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaigns, drawing each of their opening matches in Group B to leave them tied on 1 point after 1 game.
Murat Yakin has instilled structure and flexibility into this Swiss side since he took charge in August 2021. The ball control and possession game has always been the Swiss strong suit, with players like Manuel Akanji and Denis Zakaria dictating tempo.
Yakin's Swiss can keep the ball, but their counter-attacking play and wing backs with the ability to provide both width and penetration are how they create chances. In Breel Embolo they have their main attacking threat, who has 1 World Cup goal to his name after his strike against Qatar in Group B. The Monaco man has also scored 3 of Switzerland's last 9 goals.
Sergej Barbarez has made a real impact at Bosnia and Herzegovina since being appointed in April 2024, instilling a pragmatic counter-attacking style that has not seen them defeated in 5 games (W2, D3).
Jovo Lukic leads the way for the Dragons, with 1 World Cup qualifier goal from 1 game. Sead Kolasinac has been instrumental in the build up play, providing 1 assist in the Group B opener. Bosnia and Herzegovina thrive on direct play, speedy transitions and physical wide players, particularly on the counter-attack.
Bosnia and Herzegovina are yet to win a game away in this World Cup campaign, drawing 1 and scoring 1 goal. However, they are very capable of grinding out a result and are undefeated in their last 3 away matches (W1, D2).
Switzerland have won 1, drawn 3 and lost 1 of their last 5 matches in all competitions, so we can be optimistic that they may share the points at the Los Angeles Stadium on Thursday. A draw at 4.11 seems likely in this encounter and both teams to score - yes at 2.09 and over 2.5 goals at 2.09 are worth a flutter as both of these teams are in good scoring form and draw specialists.
