Bosnia and Northern Ireland are set for a one-off playoff on Thursday night with the reward for a win being progression to the next round of Euro 2020 playoff qualification.
The nations are just two steps away from qualifying for the Euro 2020 tournament proper, which was postponed last June for the summer of 2021. Both national teams head into the fixture in poor form and Bosnia may have a slight advantage due to playing at home.
📸 Ｐｒｅｐ 💪🏻 #GAWA 💚 pic.twitter.com/iswRvbhTH3— Northern Ireland (@NorthernIreland) October 6, 2020
📸 Ｐｒｅｐ 💪🏻 #GAWA 💚 pic.twitter.com/iswRvbhTH3
Northern Ireland go into the game under the management of Ian Barraclough. The manager took over the team at the beginning of this year, but didn’t oversee his first game until September, however.
Those September UEFA Nations League matches did not go well for Northern Ireland. They drew 1-1 away to Romania before being thrashed 5-1 by Norway. Goalscoring is an issue for the team and that could be the problem that prevents them from making the Euro 2020 tournament proper.
Bosnia experienced a similar September in the UEFA Nations League. They drew 1-1 with Italy, which was a shock result. Bosnia were beaten in Euro 2020 group stage qualifying by Italy 3-0.
The Bosnian team followed up their draw with Italy by losing to Poland, 2-1. It was a disappointing result at home as Poland were considered a weaker team compared to Italy.
Northern Ireland and Bosnia have played twice in their histories. Those games came in 2018 in the UEFA Nations League.
Bosnia won both matches claiming a 2-1 win in Belfast and a 2-0 home victory. History does not bode well for Barracough’s team.
Northern Ireland’s squad is made up of Premier League, EFL Championship and Scottish Premiership players. However, the lack of goalscoring quality in the team shows in Barraclough’s team selection.
Kyle Lafferty is Northern Ireland’s top goalscorer with 20 international goals. Fellow strikers Josh Magennis, Conor Washington, and Liam Boyce have scored just 12 goals between them.
Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic are the marquee players for Bosnia. Captain Dzeko has scored 59 international goals during his career. Now 34, he has struggled for playing time for club team Roma this season. Dzeko has not scored a goal for the side in two appearances.
Thursday night’s game should be close and cagey between the Euro 2020 hopefuls. With a lack of goalscoring quality on either side and poor form heading into the game, expect a stalemate with extra-time needed in Sarajevo.