The battle for second place begins!
An exciting table picture emerges in qualifying Group D for next year’s World Cup in Qatar. Bosnia and Finland are two teams that are fighting for second place in the table together with Ukraine. This position entitles them to take part in the play-off matches, which are the last chance to secure a ticket to the finals.
The French are unlikely to be denied a direct route to the World Cup. The team leads the ranking and should close the bag against Kazakhstan. But behind them, a lot is still possible. Ukraine have already played one match more and are condemned to watch for the time being, before they start the last group matchday next week. Both the golden lilies and the Suomi put themselves in an excellent starting position with a potential three-goal win.
The favourite role is assigned to the Dragons for the time being. The bookmakers are offering odds of 2.05 for a bet on the hosts in the Bosnia vs Finland match. But the home side’s performance has been anything but stable and convincing in recent games. What face will we see this Saturday? Kick-off is at 15:00 at the stadium Bilino Polje.
Bosnia – Statistics & current form
One World Cup appearance shows the Bosnians’ resume. In 2014, the Dragons competed at the finals in Brazil. However, the pleasure also ended after the preliminary round. After defeats against Argentina (1:2) and Nigeria (0:1), as well as a victory over Iran (3:1), they only finished third in their preliminary group. Now it’s time to achieve the big goal and take part in Qatar next year.
After six games, the golden lilies are only fourth in Group D with seven points, but they are just two points behind the match-free Ukrainians in second place. Their next opponents from Finland are one point ahead of the hosts.
Bosnia with home games against direct rivals
But the southern Europeans have it in their own hands to turn the tide in their favour. In the two remaining games, head coach Ivaylo Petev’s team will face the direct rivals for the important second place, which entitles them to participate in the play-off games. Both duels will take place in Bosnia. So the best conditions to outdo the other teams.
However, the Dragons won only one of their group matches. Only in Kazakhstan they celebrated a 2:0 victory. Even against the last team in the group, they only managed a 2-2 draw in their own stadium. Of course, more is needed in the remaining two games. The bookmakers are predicting a win for the hosts in the Bosnia vs. Finland match.
The Dragons with only two wins in 2021
The annual record of the men from the Balkans is not convincing. Only two victories were achieved from ten completed games. At least six games ended in a draw. The home side also disappointed in last year’s Nations League and were relegated from League A with just two points.
Predicted line-up of Bosnia:
Sehic – Civic, Kovacevic, Ahmedhodzic – Kolasinac, Gojak, Hadziahmetovic, Cimirot, Stevanovic – Dzeko, Prevjak
Last matches played by Bosnia:
World Cup Qualification UEFA 1st Round Grp. D
10/12 2021 – Ukraine 1 – 1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
10/09 2021 – Kazakhstan 0 – 2 Bosnia and Herzegovina
09/07 2021 – Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 – 2 Kazakhstan
Friendly match
09/04 2021 – Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 – 0 Kuwait
World Cup Qualification UEFA 1st Round Grp. D
09/01 2021 – France 1 – 1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Finland – Statistics & current form
Suomi’s greatest international success was their participation in the European Championship this year. It was the first time that the Finns qualified for the finals of a major tournament. Unfortunately, they were eliminated after the preliminary round. The Uhus are still hoping to make it to the World Cup next year. But for that, a win at the Bosnians is urgently needed.
At the moment, the visitors have eight points and are one point ahead of their next opponents and one point behind Ukraine. The chance to catch up with the French is rather theoretical. The aim is to conquer second place.
Finland with two away games to finish
With a win at the Dragons, the Blue and Whites would jump to second place in the table and the three-way battle would become a two-way battle as the southern Europeans would be out of the running. In the end, however, the Finns will have another big game on their hands. The Uhus welcome Les Bleus and will most likely have to score in this match as well to fulfil their dream
Without Pukki there’s nothing going on up front
But first they need to get three points on Saturday if possible. All hopes rest on Teemu Pukki of Norwich City. The goal-scorer alone has scored six of Finland’s seven goals in the group stage so far. Without him, not much happens in front of the opponent’s goal. The defence has conceded seven goals and must get a grip on the Bosnian attack around Edin Dzeko.
The record of three wins, three draws and seven defeats for 2021 is not very convincing. Especially when you consider that two of the victories were against the Kazakhs, who are considered much weaker. The home defeat against Ukraine was particularly bitter, with which the Suomi spoiled a better starting position. The guests will start Saturday’s match in the underdog role. In the Bosnia vs Finland match, betting on the blue and white team is rewarded with odds of 4.10 at the top.
Predicted line-up of Finland:
Hradecky – Hämäläinen, Vaisanen, Arajuuri, Toivio, Schüller – Lod, Kamara, Lam – Pukki, Pohjanpalo
Last matches played by Finland:
World Cup Qualification UEFA 1st Round Grp. D
10/12 2021 – Kazakhstan 0 – 2 Finland
10/09 2021 – Finland 1 – 2 Ukraine
09/07 2021 – France 2 – 0 Finland
09/04 2021 – Finland 1 – 0 Kazakhstan
Friendly match
09/01 2021 – Finland 0 – 0 Wales
Bosnia – Finland Direct comparison / H2H record
Four duels have taken place between the two nations so far. Twice the hosts were victorious and once the Finns got the better end of the deal. The away team has never won in these encounters and the bookmakers believe this will continue to be the case. In the match between Bosnia and Finland, all predictions point to a win for the Dragons.
The first leg in Helsinki ended in a 2-2 draw after a high-scoring game and we expect a close decision on Saturday as well. The last meeting in Zenica went clearly to the home side with 4:1
Bosnia – Finland tip
Maybe not all the games in Group D were from the “football delicacies” section, but the current constellation at least offers a lot of excitement. Three teams are fighting for a play-off place and we expect matches with open sights. The bookmakers are offering odds of 2.05 for a bet on the hosts in the match between Bosnia and Finland.
Only the winner of the match can still hope to be in Qatar next year. Neither team has really impressed this year. The two top strikers are the poster children of the teams. Both Edin Dzeko and Teemo Pukki are always good for a goal with their experience.
Hopefully we can look forward to an attacking match. Since both teams need the three-pointer, the direction of travel should be clear. We therefore expect a high-scoring match and recommend betting on a duel in which both teams score in the Bosnia vs. Finland match.
Alternatively, betting on a match with more than 2.5 goals in the Bosnia vs. Finland match is worth a bet at odds of 2.28.
