Will the Ukrainians still jump on the World Cup train?
Great suspense on the last matchday of the qualifying groups also in Group D! Due to the standings, it’s a long-distance duel between Ukraine, who have to play in Bosnia, and the Finns, who welcome the already qualified French. The Bosnians had to bow out of this three-legged battle last weekend with a home defeat to the Suomi.
It was already a bitter moment for the hosts when the Dragons robbed themselves of all chances of making the play-offs with a surprising defeat last Saturday. Even a draw would have been enough to keep all their options open. But as it is, the dream of a second World Cup participation is over. It remains to be seen whether coach Ivaylo Petev’s team will be able to motivate themselves again in the last group match.
The visitors will certainly have been watching Saturday’s clash between the direct rivals with a wary eye. The starting position is now clear for the blue and yellows. Only a three-goal win will give them the chance to take second place in the table. The bookmakers are optimistic and offer odds of 1.79 on the Eastern Europeans in the Bosnia vs. Ukraine match.
Bosnia – Statistics & current form
For the first time, the Bosnians managed to qualify for a World Cup finals. At the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, however, the men from the Balkans did not make it past the preliminary round. They lost to Argentina (1:2) and Nigeria (0:1), and the 3:1 victory over Iran was ultimately not enough. The dream of qualifying for Qatar has also been over since last Saturday.
After seven matchdays, the home side have just one win to their name. With a total of seven points, they are currently only good enough for fourth place in the group. The gap of four points to the Finns cannot be closed with one match to go. Only the Kazakhs are still behind the Bosnians.
Bosnia with only two wins this year
This means that the record of head coach Ivaylo Petev, who took over at the beginning of the year, is more than clear. The only victories came against the football dwarfs Kazakhstan (2:0) and Kuwait (1:0). Otherwise, there were six draws and three defeats. Under these circumstances, it comes as no surprise that the bookmakers are making a poor prediction for a win by the hosts in the Bosnia vs. Ukraine match.
This continues the trend from 2020 unabated. Last year, they did not win a game at all. As a result, they also ended up finishing last in their Nations League group and thus relegated from League A. The negative highlight was last Saturday’s 3-1 defeat against the Finns, who had to play more than half the game with a shorthanded side.
Dragons with poor goal haul
A major reason for the poor showing is certainly the lack of penetrating power on the offensive. In the seven World Cup qualifying matches, just nine goals were scored. Only the bottom team from Kazakhstan is even less successful. In the last twenty games, they have only managed to score more than one goal four times.
Predicted line-up of Bosnia:
Sehic – Civic, Kolasinac, Sanicanin, Admedhodzic – Cimirot, Pjanic, Hadziahmetovic – Krunic, Prevljak, Stevanovic
Last matches played by Bosnia:
World Cup Qualification UEFA 1st Round Grp. D
11/13 2021 – Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 – 3 Finland
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
Ukraine – Statistics & current form
The Ukrainians have had the pleasure of participating in a World Cup once so far. In the 2006 summer fairy tale, the Eastern Europeans made it to the quarter-finals before losing to Italy. Even if coach Oleksandr Petrakov’s men do not have it in their own hands to qualify for the play-offs, their chances of finishing second in the group are not bad.
The yellow-blue team currently has nine points. This puts the Shovto-Blakytni two points behind the Finns, who currently hold the coveted second place. With a win, the Ukrainians would pass their opponents on points if the latter lose to the French at the same time.
Thrilling standings in Group D
But the standings are even more complex. Should the visitors win in Bosnia with a goal difference and the Finns wrest a draw from Les Bleus, an exactly equal goal difference is also possible if the points are equal. In this case, the Blue and Yellows would enter the play-offs on the basis of the better direct comparison.
The Blue-Yellows’ qualifying matches so far have been very changeable, which makes an assessment very difficult. A positive look at the record shows us that the guests have not lost a game yet. On the other hand, however, they have only won one match.
Ukraine already with six draws in the Quali
The Shovto-Blakytni are the draw kings of the qualifying round. But now Coach Patrakov’s men know what counts. They need a three-pointer and the bookmakers are offering odds of 1.79 on the visitors in the Bosnia vs Ukraine match.
The strength of the yellow-blue team is more to be seen in the defence. The Eastern Europeans have conceded a goal eight times. In the last five games, the Shovto-Blakytni always conceded exactly one goal. At this year’s European Championship, the visitors reached the quarter-finals, where they were defeated by England.
Predicted line-up of Ukraine:
Pyatov – Zabarnyi, Kryvtsov, Matviienko – Sobol, Malinovsky, Stepanenko, Tymchyk – Tsygankov, Yaremchuk, Yarmolenko
Last matches played by Ukraine:
Friendly match
11/11 2021 – Ukraine 1 – 1 Bulgaria
World Cup Qualification UEFA 1st Round Grp. D
10/12 2021 – Ukraine 1 – 1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
10/09 2021 – Finland 1 – 2 Ukraine
Friendly match
09/08 2021 – Czech Republic 1 – 1 Ukraine
World Cup Qualification UEFA 1st Round Grp. D
09/04 2021 – Ukraine 1 – 1 France
Bosnia – Ukraine Direct comparison / H2H-Balance
The only meeting between these two sides came in the first leg of this year’s qualifying round. In Lviv, the nations parted amicably with a 1-1 draw. A result that will not help the guests this time due to the table situation.
The bookmakers are clearly predicting a win for the blue and yellow team in the Bosnia vs Ukraine match.
Bosnia – Ukraine bet
The week of decisions is in full swing. The group winners qualify directly for the World Cup finals and the runners-up get a second chance in the play-off matches. The Eastern Europeans need to win in Zenica to reach these deciding matches. The bookmakers offer odds of 1.79 for bets on the Yellow-Blue in the Bosnia vs. Ukraine match.
For the Dragons, it is a matter of saying goodbye to the qualifiers with decency and not disappointing their own fans again. A conciliatory finish and a home win would see them leapfrog the Ukrainians in the table and take over third place.
We expect an attack-minded game from the visitors at least. Another draw won’t get coach Petrakov’s team any further. But the hosts are also likely to be out for redemption, so our recommendation in the Bosnia vs Ukraine match is to bet on a duel in which both teams score. We are offered attractive odds of 2.00.
Since the visitors still have a real chance of finishing second, we expect a highly motivated Yellow-Blue team. In the Bosnia vs. Ukraine match, a bet on the Eastern Europeans at odds of 1.79 is therefore a promising alternative.
