Portugal will be aiming to stay perfect in Group J of the European Championship qualifiers as they travel to Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday. The Bosnians are in desperate need of a win and while they can make things difficult, Portugal are way above everyone else and should have the upper hand here.
With top spot already sealed by Portugal, it is going to be a thrilling battle for second place with only three matches left to play in Group J. As it stands, Bosnia-Herzegovina are currently fourth on the table, four points off the pace and could be out of contention if results do not go their way this week.
The Bosnians have picked up just three wins and suffered four defeats in the qualifiers but the good news is that two of their victories have come at home. However Savo Milosevic’s men did suffer a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Luxembourg in a home fixture back in June.
Bosnia-Herzegovina are in desperate need of a win and will head into Monday’s clash with some confidence after claiming a 2-0 victory over Liechtenstein last time out. First half efforts from Amar Rahmanovic and Miroslav Stevanovic were enough to earn them the win.
Portugal have become the first team to secure a place in next year’s European Championship after claiming a 3-2 victory in their previous fixture. Goncalo Ramos opened the scoring early in the contest before a brace from Cristiano Rinaldo sealed the win.
The result means Portugal are still maintaining their 100% record in the qualifiers with seven wins from seven matches. Despite already sealing a place in Germany, manager Roberto Martinez will be keen to maintain their intensity and ensure a perfect qualifying campaign.
In the midst of their Euphoria for qualifying for Euro 2024, Portugal may be feeling a little disappointed to have been breached for the first time in Group J. With the manager expected to ring the changes on Monday, a return to normal clean sheet services may be unlikely.
How the bookies view it
Portugal have been installed as overwhelming favourites on the bookies and are priced at 3/5 by Coral to claim the win. Bosnia-Herzegovina are considered outsiders at home at 21/4 by Unibet while a draw is set at odds of 3/1 by BoyleSports.
Head to head
Portugal have never lost to Bosnia-Herzegovina, with four wins and a draw from five previous meetings. The 2016 European champions claimed a 3-0 victory in the reverse fixture back in June with Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes getting the goals.
Players to watch
It has been a disappointing qualifying campaign for captain Edin Dzeko having only found the net once for Bosnia-Herzegovina. However, he remains their most experienced attacker and could be backed to step up when needed at 3/1 with bet365.
Portugal are expected to make changes to the team with Cristiano Ronaldo likely to be given a rest after playing the full 90 minutes last time out. Having netted a brace in his last start, Diogo Jota could be worth keeping an eye on at 7/4 with bet365.
Anything else catch the eye?
Portugal are likely to be a bit relaxed on Monday which means both teams could be backed to score at evens with bet365. The Portuguese produced over 3.5 goals in their previous fixture and a repeat is priced at 23/10 with Paddy Power while bet365 is offering odds of 9/10 for over 2.5 goals.
With Portugal priced at minimal odds for a straight victory, a win and over 2.5 goals could be considered at 6/4 with Paddy Power.
This Euro 2024 match between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Portugal will be played on Oct 16, 2023 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Portugal prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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