Our Free Bets Page is packed ahead of this summer of European football and is definitely worth checking if you want to join in with our 9/2 bet builder below.
England vs Bosnia
3rd June
kick off 19:45 Over 2.5 Goals
Bosnia were beaten 5-0 and 3-0 by Portugal in qualifying, and have much less to play for here than England, whose players will be keen to impress Gareth Southgate.
Bosnia have scored in four of their last five games, so could contribute to getting the total goal tally over this line.
Haris Hajradnovic to be fouled 1+ times Hajradnovic won more fouls per 90 than any other Bosnia player in qualifying, at 2.50, winning 2 fouls in each of his 3 starts during the campaign.
He will be up against Conor Gallagher (1.82 fouls per 90 in qualifying) and Declan Rice (0.57), so has solid matchups, and will be required to hold the ball up to try and get Bosnia up the pitch.
Jusuf Gazibegovic to commit 1+ fouls Jusuf Gazibegovic has solid matchups in Jack Grealish (3.18 fouls won per 90) and Kieran Trippier (0.65), and commits 1.03 fouls per 90, the fifth-most of any Bosnian player during qualifying.
Gazibegovic has committed 1+ fouls in 3 straight starts for his country, committing 2+ in 2 of these 3 games.
Marc Guehi to be fouled 1+ times Guehi ranks fourth for fouls won per 90 amongst England players in qualifying, at 0.70, winning fouls in 3 of his 4 starts.
He is up against Ermedin Demirovic, who committed the second-most fouls per 90 for Bosnia, at 2.24, and has committed fouls in 6 of his last 9 national team games, and in 15 of his 16 Bundesliga starts in 2024.
Load our 9/2 bet builder In this article
The season may have barely finished but the build-up to the Euros gets underway on Monday as England host Bosnia-Herzegovina at St James Park.
This will be a first senior meeting between the two nations and should provide a solid test for Gareth Southgate to make his final decision on which players will start in England’s opening European Championship game against Serbia on June 16.
Meanwhile, Bosnia-Herzegovina have nothing to play for except pride, having missed out on qualification. They finished a disappointing fifth in Group J, behind Portugal, Slovakia, Luxembourg and Iceland, and then falling to a 2-1 loss in their play-off semi-final against Ukraine.
We’ve delved into the stats ahead of this game and put together this stat pack, filled with useful information and some of the best available picks on the bet builder markets. There’s no better way to set yourself up for the Euros than a winner the week before it starts, and we’re giving you all the insider knowledge you need to do just that.
The Stats Pack Guide will prove to be very useful at this stage of the season, helping you dissect the data in our articles to help you with your bets over this summer of football.
Fancy £50 in free bets for an England vs Bosnia bet builder? Paddy Power have got you sorted.
England vs Bosnia Predicted Lineups
Heavy rotation from Gareth Southgate
This is an opportunity for the England boss to really work out who he can trust for this summer’s tournament, and we expect just four players to retain their spots from the 2-2 draw against Belgium in March. Jarrad Branthwaite and Marc Guehi come in for John Stones and Lewis Dunk at the back, with Kieran Trippier at left back instead of Ben Chilwell. Trent Alexander-Arnold should make a rare start in midfield, alongside Declan Rice and Conor Gallagher, while Jack Grealish is expected to start on the left with Ollie Watkins through the middle as Jarrod Bowen keeps his spot on the right flank.
Some notable absences for Bosnia
Bosnia will line up in their usual 3-4-1-2 here, but Sergej Barbarez is expected to make four changes from the side which missed out on qualification for the Euros after their 2-1 loss to Ukraine in their play-off game back in March. Sead Kolasinac is one of those to miss out as Nihad Mujakic slots in at left centre back. Nail Omerovic will play just his sixth game for the national side at left wing back, while Jusuf Gazibegovic will play on the right instead, replacing Amar Dedic. There is no Gojko Climirot in midfield either, opening the door for Ajax’s Benjamin Tahirovic to start in the middle.
England vs Bosnia Team Stats
Saves market worth exploring
England’s opponents have seen their goalkeepers make 3.25 saves per game across their European qualifiers. Five of their eight qualifying games have seen the opposition’s goalkeeper make at least three saves, while games against Ukraine and Malta have seen six and five saves from their respective stoppers. With Bosnia having much less to play for than the England players battling for a place in the team at the Euros, it should be a dominant display from the hosts, and could be a long evening for Nikola Vasilj in the Bosnian goal. Backing him to make four or more saves at 1.33 looks a very solid bet here.
Goals look likely here
Bosnia have faced top-quality opposition just twice in the last 15 months, both being qualifying games against Portugal, games in which they were beaten 5-0 and 3-0, both without Roberto Martinez’s side having to get out of second gear. With many England players desperate to impress Gareth Southgate and stake a claim for a place in the side for their opener against Serbia on June 16, and Bosnia’s players looking forward to a summer holiday instead, it seems likely England could run up the score here. Bosnia have also scored in four of their last five, so could well contribute goals towards an over 2.5 goals bet, priced at 1.44.
England vs Bosnia Shots and Shots on Target Stats
Alexander-Arnold the best option for a shot on target
All four of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s starts in the qualifying campaign for the Euros have come from midfield, with the Liverpool man proving a serious goal threat across these ties. Albeit all coming against Malta and North Macedonia, Alexander-Arnold has had a shot on target in three of his four England starts in qualifying, at a rate of 1.03, the best of the players expected to start here. He had 2.05 shots per 90 in the qualifiers and against a weak Bosnia side, could well get another here. He can be backed to do so at 1.57.
Emedin Demirovic the one to watch in the shot markets
Available at evens to have a shot on target here, along with strike partner Edin Dzeko, Emedin Demirovic has now hit a shot on target in four of his last five national team games. He averaged 1.18 shots on target per 90 across Bosnia’s qualifying campaign as a whole, and though Demirovic may not have scored, he still racked up 2.63 shots per 90. With Dzeko’s lack of pace likely to be a limiting factor against young centre back pairing Marc Guehi and Jarrad Branthwaite (the latter also having the height to compete with Dzeko in the air at 6’5’’), Demirovic looks the better option of the two if you are looking to back someone from the visiting side to hit the target here.
England vs Bosnia goals and assists stats
Ollie Watkins looks England’s best option
A heavily rotated England side means few players have been given the opportunity to prove themselves as goalscorers on the international stage. Gareth Southgate’s side should still fancy their chances of running up the score against a Bosnia side that struggled even in a relatively weak qualifying group, and Ollie Watkins looks the best bet to get amongst the goals here. He scored on his national team debut way back in 2021 and since then has made four starts for his country, scoring twice in friendlies against Ivory Coast and Australia, both much better opponents than Bosnia. Watkins can be backed to score anytime at 1.67.
Edin Dzeko to roll back the years?
Bosnia’s 0.64 goals per game in qualifying demonstrates that scoring at all here would be a real surprise, but having scored four in their last five, there is some hope. Both of their last two international goals were own goals, and the last player to score for the national team that we expect to start here is Edin Dzeko, way back in September 2023, in a 2-1 win over Liechtenstein. Dzeko has 53 goals in 112 international appearances however and looks to be the only Bosnian player worth considering as a longshot anytime goalscorer pick. He can be backed to find the net at 5.50.
England Cards and fouls stats
Ollie Watkins looks an interesting option for a foul
Watkins has made four competitive appearances for England and has managed to notch a foul in all four of these games, despite starting just one. Two of these games saw Watkins on the pitch for a combined total of 13 minutes, which suggests he may be a good option for a foul here. He has committed 1.67 fouls per 90 across his appearances in qualifying, and has a decent matchup in Dennis Hadzikadunic, who won 0.48 fouls per 90 in qualifying, drawing fouls in three of his last six starts for his country. With little value available elsewhere, it looks worth considering Watkins to commit a foul at 1.91.
Haris Hajradnovic a good bet to win a foul
Bosnia’s number 10 was far and away their most fouled player in qualifying, winning 2.50 fouls per 90. The Kasimpasa man won two fouls in each of the three qualifying games in which he featured and has been equally adept at winning fouls in the Turkish Super Lig, having won two or more in four of his last six starts for his club side. He has strong matchups here too, up against Conor Gallagher, who committed the most fouls per 90 for England in qualifying (1.82); and Declan Rice, who committed 0.57 fouls per 90 in qualifying for England, including two against minnows Malta. Hajradnovic can be backed to win a foul at 1.50 here.
BOSNIA cards and Fouls Stats
Jusuf Gazibegovic a nice option in fouls market
Newly-crowned Austrian Bundesliga champion with Sturm Graz, Gazibegovic looks a great option to commit a foul here at 1.57. The right wing back will be tasked with keeping tabs on Jack Grealish and Kieran Trippier, both of whom sit in the top-five for fouls won per 90 in qualifying for England, at 3.18 and 0.65 respectively. Gazibegovic has committed at least one foul in each of his last three starts for Bosnia, fouling twice or more in two of these three.
Marc Guehi a strong option here
There are few viable options for England in the fouls won markets, but one who jumps out immediately is Marc Guehi. The Crystal Palace man ranks fourth for fouls won per 90 by England players in qualifying, at 0.70, and winning fouls in three of his four starts during the campaign. Guehi also has a strong matchup, going up against Emedin Demirovic, who committed the second-most fouls per 90 of any Bosnian player at 2.24. The forward has fouled in six of his last nine starts for his country, and in 15 of his 16 Bundesliga starts for club side Augsburg in 2024. All this makes backing Guehi at 1.53 to be fouled a very tempting choice.
mATCHUPS TO WATCH
Ollie Watkins vs Dennis Hadzikadunic
Declan Rice v Haris Hajradnovic
Jack Grealish vs Jusuf Gazibegovic
Marc Guehi vs Emedin Demirovic
Check out our Free Bets Page for the best welcome offers on the market.
