- Bosnia and Herzegovina are unbeaten in their last 5 (W2, D3).
- Qatar have drawn their last two games (1-1 v Switzerland, 0-0 v El Salvador).
- Bosnia and Herzegovina have drawn their last three consecutive games.
Battle of two Group B outsiders
Bosnia and Herzegovina sit fourth with Qatar third in FIFA World Cup Group B 2026, both teams having 1 point apiece after the first round of games. Both sides are in need of a win to advance to the knockout stages and this Wednesday's meeting will be closely contested at Seattle Stadium, USA.
Sergej Barbarez's side were solid but uninspired in their opening game, battling to a 1-1 draw away to Panama. They followed it up with another 1-1 draw away to Canada in what has become a familiar pattern for the Zmajevi (Dragons). Bosnia-Herzegovina are now unbeaten in five games, but have failed to win any of their last three and are too predictable for their own good.
Barbarez has switched to a direct, high-tempo 4-4-2 that is well equipped to handle the physical battles in the midfield and create chances through the middle of the field, but they are less effective when the ball is with them and often overplay when they have the advantage. Jovo Lukic is an imposing figure up front and has one goal in this World Cup, but will need to get more service if they are to win this game.
Qatar to test Bosnia-Herzegovina with possession
Qatar's opening game was a tight 1-1 draw against Switzerland, with them following up with a 0-0 draw against El Salvador. Julen Lopetegui's men are a possession-based team that will look to play a patient, possession-based game and they are a tough opponent to break down.
They have plenty of creativity to unlock the opponent and create overloads on the flanks, and Homam Elamin has been a star player in that respect, contributing one assist so far in this World Cup.
Sead Kolasinac a key player for the Dragons
Bosnia and Herzegovina are the clear favourites at 57/100 for this game, while Qatar are as high as 9/2 and the draw is 13/5. A win would be a huge lift for either side, but Bosnia have had a taste for the draw of late and their odds are a bit short in our view.
The under 2.5 goals market is looking good at 79/100 and we are backing the favourites to scrape past Qatar in what should be a tight and scrappy encounter. Sead Kolasinac can be a game changer for the Zmajevi, with one assist in Group B already. He likes to drive forward from the back and his vision and creativity could unlock Qatar.
