Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Cyprus prediction: EUROPE: World Championship – Qualification betting tips on match 2025-03-23 19:45.
[p]Bosnia & Herzegovina ended their 12-match winless streak that stretched back to October 2023 (D2, L10) by beating Romania 1-0 on Friday to open their World Cup qualifying (WCQ) campaign in perfect fashion. An early goal and some resolute defending kept Romania at bay and kick-started Bosnia’s bid to reach a first World Cup finals since 2014.[/p]
[p]Their hopes of getting there will only grow if the Dragons can make it two wins out of two by beating Cyprus, a nation who sit 56 places below them in the FIFA rankings. While that sizeable gap suggests a clear advantage, the H2H record is locked at two wins apiece, although Bosnia might take heart from winning the last meeting they hosted 2-0 in a WCQ game back in October 2016, as they look to halt a six-game winless streak at home in all competitions (D1, L5).[/p]
[p]Cyprus find themselves in the unusual position of topping the group after beating San Marino 2-0 on Friday to secure their second win across their last three internationals (L1). It was an ideal start for new head coach Akis Mantzios, who took over in January, although he might have been a little nervous after they were held 0-0 at half-time by FIFA’s lowest-ranked nation before netting two after the break.[/p]
[p]Without a WCQ away win since June 2017 (L7) and having won just one of their last 21 such matches (D2, L18), travelling has been a huge problem for Cyprus, and something Mantzios must address if they’re to get anywhere near to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. While they won their first-ever away H2H, that was back in 2014 and a repeat will be a tall order given their more recent struggles on foreign soil.[/p]
[p]Players to watch: Armin Gigović’s winner for Bosnia against Romania was his maiden international goal – each of his last three goals for club or country arrived before half-time. More of a threat after the break, Ioannis Pittas has netted between the 50th and 60th minute in Cyprus’ last two games.[/p]
[p]Hot streak: Bosnia haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of their last eight home internationals (W1, D1, L6).[/p]
[p][i]Written by John Pennington[/i][/p]