North Macedonia have been struggling in the final third, netting just one goal in their last four games. Bosnia & Herzegovina will be careful to avoid potential injuries ahead of the WC, so under 2.5 goals is expected outcome in Sarajevo.
Key Stats
- Bosnia & Herzegovina have seen under 2.5 goals in their last 3 matches.
- North Macedonia have failed to score in 3 of their last 4 matches.
Five Previous Meetings
Three out of five head to head meetings ended without a winner, both teams claiming one victory each.
Bosnia & H. Making their Second WC Appearance
Bosnia & Herzegovina needed to beat Austria in the final round of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers in Wien. They took an early lead through Haris Tabakovic but were ultimately held to a 1-1 draw, finishing second.
The Dragons were labelled underdogs in the playoff semifinals against Wales. Edin Dzeko saved them with a late header in Cardiff, forcing extra time before Bosnia & Herzegovina won 4-2 on penalties.
Sergej Barbarez’s side then hosted favored Italy in Zenica in the playoff final. Bosnia & Herzegovina trailed for 79 minutes before Tabakovic found an equalizer, and they eventually secured qualification with a 4-1 penalty shootout victory.
Visitors Winless Since September
North Macedonia couldn’t compete against Belgium and Wales in the WCQ 2026 Group J, finishing third here with three wins, four draws and just one defeat.
They were granted a chance in the World Cup 2026 playoffs thanks to their Nations League accomplishments, but were easily swept by Denmark 4-0 in Copenhagen, failing to register a single shot on target here.
North Macedonia’s most recent appearance was a friendly match against Republic of Ireland in late March which ended in a goalless draw.
Team News & Predicted Lineups
Bosnia and Herzegovina (4-4-2) Nikola Vasilj; Amar Dedic, Nikola Katic, Dzenis Burnic, Adrian Leon Barisic; Esmir Bajraktarevic, Ivan Basic, Ivan Sunjic, Ensar Memic; Edin Dzeko, Ermedin Demirovic
Edin Dzeko is set to make his 149th appearance for the national team, also being the best scorer in country's history with 73 goals. Haris Tabakovic suffered a serious injury two weeks ago and surely won't feature in upcoming friendlies.
North Macedonia (3-4-2-1) Stole Dimitrievski; Gjoko Zajkov, Darko Velkovski, Imran Fetai; Darko Churlinov, Tihomir Kostadinov, Isnik Alimi, Visar Musliu; Eljif Elmas, Lirim Qamili; Elmin Rastoder
Captain Enis Bardhi was not called up due to an injury, while Aleksandar Trajkovski retired from the national team in late March.