Latvia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – After many exhibition matches finally arrived this Friday when on the program is the new round of European qualification for the World Championship in Brazil, and we will begin our analysis with a match in Group G, where the leading Bosnia and Herzegovina will play as a guest with the fifth-placed Latvia. This information is quite sufficient to explain, who is the favourite in this match, especially when we know that the Bosnians won Latvia late last year at home with high 4-1. Begins: 07.06.2013 – 18:30 CET
Latvia
Apart from that defeat, the Latvians had experienced at the start of the qualifications the same fate as guests in Slovakia and at home from Greece, while only in the last two rounds have made a little better impression with four points won in matches with the outsider Liechtenstein. All of that wasn’t enough for anything better than the fifth place, and it is already clear that in remaining five matches they can hardly make a better result. But their coach Starkovs doesn’t think so, especially after they displayed a great game a few days ago in an exhibition march against the favoured Turkey, playing a draw (3-3). Before that they were defeated away by Japan and Qatar, which in turn tells us that they play very variably and that much depends from the mood of their strikers. First of all we here think about their biggest star and standard player of the HSV, Rud?evs, while with two goals against Turkey young Sabala has made a name for himself, so in a case of unfavourable development of the situation in match with BiH he will probably get a chance too. On the other hand, a big problem for selector Starkovs is absence of the injured midfielder Cauna, while for the same reason out of the team is striker Lukjanovs.
Probable lineups Latvia: Vanins – Klava, Ivanovs, Gorkss, Maksimenko – Laizans, Fertovs – Zigajevs, Visnakovs, Sinelnikovs – Rudnevs
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Unlike variable Latvia, Bosnia and Herzegovina players await this match in the best possible mood, given that in the last seven matches achieved six wins and one draw that took place against Greece in an away game. They played with the same rival in March this year at home and recorded a fantastic victory of 3-1, which at the end may very well prove to be the key for the qualification for the WC. Selector Susic’s players are with 13 points from five matches currently the first in Group G, and what certainly is particularly impressive is the goal difference – 18:3. All this tells us that after being stopped twice in the playoffs from Portugal they are finally ready for the greatest achievements, and so in their camp no one thinks of anything else except the victory in this away game against Latvia. Refreshed midfielders Pjanic and Salihovic return in the team, which is very important because in the meantime has injured the best individual from the match against Greece Misimovic, while still out of action is injured defender Vranjes.
Probable lineups Bosnia and Herzegovina: Begovic – Mujdza, Spahic, Zukanovic, Lulic – Zahirovic – Pjanic, Medunjanin, Salihovic – Dzeko, Ibisevic
Latvia – Bosnia and Herzegovina Pick
Given that the Bosnians after two consecutive defeats in the playoffs now have a historical chance to finally directly qualify in a big competition we are quite sure that they will not miss it, and therefore we expect that in this away game against the average selection of Latvia routinely win three new points.
Tip: 2
Odd: 1.65
Stake: 9/10
