England will host Bosnia and Herzegovina at St. James’ Park on Monday, looking to boost their confidence levels ahead of UEFA Euro 2024.
With the 2024 UEFA European Championships coming up, England will be one of the teams expected to do well, and they will look to boost their morale with a strong performance when they welcome Bosnia and Herzegovina to St. James’ Park on Monday.
On paper, England are the better team here, and they will be expected to produce a strong performance in front of their fans. Meanwhile, Bosnia will be looking to bounce back from the defeat against Ukraine. It will be interesting to see if they can upset the odds here. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of Monday’s clash between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
England
The Three Lions will be without Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, and Anthony Gordon due to their injuries. Meanwhile, Gareth Southgate has made some notable omissions from his squad, including Marcus Rashford and Jordan Henderson.
England are likely to line up in a 4-3-3 formation against Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Jordan Pickford in goal. Ezri Konsa and Kieran Trippier should start as the full-backs, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. John Stones will likely start alongside Marc Guehi at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Trent Alexander-Arnold will start alongside Declan Rice and Conor Gallagher. While Rice will be the midfield anchor and will be expected to break down opposition attacks, Alexander-Arnold and Gallagher will add drive and creativity to the side.
Ollie Watkins is likely to lead the line for England against Bosnia, with Harry Kane getting some rest. Finally, Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze should on either side of Watkins in Monday’s games.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Pickford; Konsa, Stones, Guehi, Trippier; Alexander-Arnold, Rice, Gallagher; Saka, Watkins, Eze
Bosnia and Herzegovina
The visitors will be without Sead Kolasinac and Ermin Bicakcic due to their respective fitness issues. Bosnia and Herzegovina will shape up in a 3-4-1-2 formation against England on Monday night.
Nikola Vasilj will start in goal for the away side behind a back three of Anel Ahmedhodzic, Dennis Hadzikadunic and Nihad Mujakic. Jusuf Gazibegovic and Nail Omerovic will start as the wing-backs. They will look to protect the back three and help out during counter-attacking situations.
Benjamin Tahirovic will start alongside Rade Krunic in the central midfield. Haris Hajradinovic will start as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to add creativity in the final third. He will also look to link the midfield with the attack. Finally, Ermedin Demirovic will lead the line for Bosnia alongside Edin Dzeko.
Probable Lineup (3-4-1-2): Vasilj; Ahmedhodzic, Hadzikadunic, Mujakic; Gazibegovic Tahirovic, Krunic, Omerovic; Hajradinovic; Dzeko, Demirovic
Key Stats
- England are unbeaten in 24 of the last 26 home matches in international friendlies.
- England have won 12 of the last 14 friendly matches.
- Bosnia & Herzegovina have lost the last 3 away friendly matches in a row without scoring a goal.
- Bosnia &Herzegovina have failed to win 15 of the last 17 away matches.
- Bosnia & Herzegovina have one win from the last six internationals.
Player to Watch
Ollie Watkins
The 28-year-old has been in phenomenal form this past season, scoring 19 goals and picking up 13 assists in the league. He will look to continue his impressive run of form and cement his place as Harry Kane’s chosen deputy for UEFA Euro 2024. Watkins is our key player to watch out for, and he could punish a vulnerable Bosnia defence here.
Prediction
England 3-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Three Lions will be the favourites heading into this contest, and they should be able to pick up a comfortable victory at home. England are the better team on paper, and they have done quite well in their recent outings as well.
On the other hand, Bosnia and Herzegovina are coming into this game on the back of a defeat against Ukraine in March. They are likely to struggle against England, and the Three Lions should be able to pile further misery on them. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-0 win for Gareth Southgate and his charges.