Germany vs Bosnia-Herzegovina: Preview, Predictions, Team News, and Lineups
Germany stands on the brink of securing a first-place finish in League A Group 3 of the UEFA Nations League as they host Bosnia-Herzegovina at the Europa-Park Stadion in Freiburg on Saturday. With a quarter-final spot already secured, Julian Nagelsmann's team needs just a single point to guarantee the top spot, while their visitors cling to faint hopes of progressing despite a dismal campaign.
Still smarting from a quarter-final exit at their home European Championships, Germany has quickly found redemption in the Nations League. Undefeated in their first four fixtures, Die Mannschaft have dropped only two points and sealed their quarter-final qualification with games to spare. A hard-fought 2-1 victory over Bosnia last month—courtesy of Deniz Undav's strike—was followed by a 1-0 win over the Netherlands, where debutant Jamie Leweling scored the decisive goal.
Germany now sits five points clear of Hungary and the Netherlands. A win on Saturday would secure the group's top spot, but even a draw would suffice unless Hungary defeats the Dutch and pulls off an unlikely five-goal rout of Nagelsmann's men on the final matchday. Such a scenario appears implausible, but Germany will aim to extinguish any lingering doubts with a commanding victory, which would also extinguish Bosnia-Herzegovina's slim knockout-round aspirations.
For Bosnia, the Nations League has been a continuation of their inconsistent journey since the competition's inception. Alternating between promotion and relegation, the Golden Lilies seem destined for another drop to League B. With only one point from their four matches—earned in a 0-0 draw with Hungary in September—Bosnia has struggled, including a 2-0 defeat to Hungary last time out, thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai’s double.
To keep their faint hopes alive, Bosnia must defeat Germany and rely on a draw between Hungary and the Netherlands. However, their chances look grim, as their current winless streak stands at 10 matches across all competitions, nine of which have ended in defeat. Their last win came against Liechtenstein in a 2023 Euros qualifier.
Bosnia's only previous trip to Germany ended in a 3-1 friendly defeat in 2010, where current captain Edin Dzeko gave his side a brief lead before Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger led the hosts to victory. A similar outcome seems likely as Nagelsmann’s Germany seeks to cement their dominance and Bosnia stares down the barrel of relegation.
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