By Opta Analyst | Created at 2026-06-17 11:36:43 | Updated at 2026-06-17 15:42:59
4 hours ago
After a perfectly balanced start left each Group B side with one point at the FIFA World Cup, we look ahead to Thursday’s clash with our Switzerland vs Bosnia-Herzegovina prediction and preview.
Switzerland vs Bosnia-Herzegovina: The Key Insights
- Despite making an uncertain start, Switzerland have a 61.6% chance of winning their second group game, according to the Opta supercomputer.
- So, with just a 17% chance of victory, Bosnia-Herzegovina are not expected to set a new national record of 10 matches unbeaten.
- Switzerland have lost just two of their last 17 group games at either the World Cup or UEFA European Championship (W7 D8).
Switzerland and Bosnia-Herzegovina both let a lead slip in their respective opening fixtures at the 2026 World Cup, making Thursday’s encounter between them in Los Angeles one that neither can afford to lose.
The Swiss will surely feel most unfortunate, as Qatar’s equaliser (93:59) was the third-latest leveller scored during the World Cup group stage since such records began in 1966.
Forced to settle for a 1-1 draw, a tally of 26 shots was also Switzerland’s most in a World Cup match. Of the 16 players who featured, 14 either attempted a shot or created a chance. The only two who didn’t were goalkeeper Gregor Kobel and substitute Miro Muheim – the latter of whom did manage to score a costly own goal – but allowing Qatar to pick up their first World Cup point has led to excoriating headlines back home.
Ranked 19th by FIFA, and making their sixth straight appearance, Murat Yakin’s men were expected to stroll into the knockout phase, but that no longer seems certain.
Ever the pragmatist, Yakin is not likely to panic. Among the four teams in Group B, his Swiss side completed the most passes (527) and boasted the best passing accuracy (91.5%). By contrast, Bosnia-Herzegovina completed the fewest passes (172) and posted the worst pass accuracy (63.5%), suggesting it could be a clash of styles when the pair convene in California.
Unashamed to take a more vertical approach, Bosnia boss Sergej Barbarez has already been hailed a hero for leading his country back to the big stage, having been absent since making their debut in 2014.
They almost started with a win over Canada, after Jovo Lukic – deputising for unfit all-time top scorer Edin Džeko – netted his first international goal in just his fourth appearance.
Although the co-hosts then struck back and claimed a draw, Bosnia-Herzegovina have now lost just one of their last 12 competitive fixtures (W5 D6), having lost 12 of the previous 15.
Curiously, each of their last six across all competitions have finished level – including two that went to penalties in the play-offs – and no European nation has ever drawn seven consecutive matches.
Avoiding defeat again would also set a new national record run without losing; they’ve previously reached nine twice since gaining independence (in June 2013 and November 2018).
So, despite a ranking deficit of 45 places, Bosnia-Herzegovina can justifiably feel confident before their first World Cup meeting with another UEFA nation.
History suggests it could be an entertaining contest: Switzerland’s last five World Cup matches against European opposition have produced 23 goals, at an average of 4.6 per game.
Star striker Breel Embolo is enjoying his most prolific period. Including a coolly converted penalty against Qatar, 10 of his 25 international goals have come from his last 13 games.
Even without former mainstay Xherdan Shaqiri, the average age of Switzerland’s last lineup (30y 86d) was their oldest in any World Cup match; two veterans with well over 100 caps, Ricardo Rodríguez and captain Granit Xhaka, are now two of just three Swiss men to feature at seven major tournaments, along with Shaqiri.
Meanwhile, Bosnia-Herzegovina’s remodelled squad blends youth with experience. Forty-year-old skipper Dzeko provides plenty of the latter. Aged 18 years and 264 days, Kerim Alajbegovic became the youngest player to represent them at a World Cup, and the winger will now seek an upgrade to the starting XI.
Switzerland vs Bosnia-Herzegovina Head-to-Head
Switzerland and Bosnia-Herzegovina are meeting at a World Cup for the first time to date.
Their only previous encounter was a friendly fixture in Zurich 10 years ago, when the visitors won 2-0 with goals from Džeko and Miralem Pjanić.
Switzerland vs Bosnia-Herzegovina Prediction
Of 25,000 pre-match simulations produced by the Opta supercomputer, Switzerland came out as strong favourites for victory: they have a 61.6% chance of success.
Bosnia-Herzegovina only prevailed in 17% of those simulations, with a draw rated at 21.4%.
Switzerland vs Bosnia-Herzegovina Squads
Switzerland: Gregor Kobel, Yvon Mvogo, Marvin Keller, Miro Muheim, Silvan Widmer, Nico Elvedi, Manuel Akanji, Ricardo Rodríguez, Eray Cömert, Aurèle Amenda, Luca Jaquez, Denis Zakaria, Remo Freuler, Johan Manzambi, Granit Xhaka, Ardon Jashari, Djibril Sow, Christian Fassnacht, Rubén Vargas, Michel Aebischer, Fabian Rieder, Breel Embolo, Dan Ndoye, Noah Okafor, Zeki Amdouni, Cedric Itten.
Bosnia-Herzegovina: Nikola Vasilj, Mladen Jurkas, Martin Zlomislic, Nihad Mujakic, Dennis Hadzikadunic, Tarik Muharemovic, Sead Kolasinac, Amar Dedic, Nikola Katic, Stjepan Radeljic, Nidal Celik, Benjamin Tahirovic, Armin Gigovic, Ivan Basic, Ivan Sunjic, Amar Memic, Amir Hadziahmetovic, Dzenis Burnic, Ermin Mahmic, Samed Bazdar, Ermedin Demirovic, Edin Dzeko, Kerim Alajbegovic, Esmir Bajraktarevic, Haris Tabakovic, Jovo Lukic.
Switzerland vs Bosnia-Herzegovina Predicted Lineups
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