Netherlands vs Bosnia & Herzegovina

PSV Eindhoven’s Philips Stadion hosts the opening UEFA Nations League Group A/3 game between the Netherlands and Bosnia & Herzegovina.

The Netherlands’ near-flawless record in the group stages of the 2022/23 Nations League (W5, L1) earned them a spot in the semi-finals, where they lost 4-2 to Croatia in extra time. Ronald Koeman’s side will look to go one better this time and reach the grand final for the first time since the competition’s maiden edition in 2018/19. Confidence stems from their inspiring Euro 2024 campaign, though they failed to qualify for the grand final, losing 2-1 to England in the semis. Traditionally dominant in their home Nations League fixtures, Koeman’s men have won five of their six home games in this competition (L1), including a 3-1 victory against upcoming rivals Bosnia in November 2020. It’s not beyond the Netherlands to pack a punch, as they registered three consecutive 4-0 home wins in the build-up to the Euros.

By contrast, Bosnia & Herzegovina failed to qualify for their first-ever European Championship as an independent nation after a gut-wrenching 2-1 loss to Ukraine in March’s playoffs. Seemingly disturbed by that late heartache, Sergej Barbarez’s charges have lost back-to-back international friendlies afterward, going down to Italy and England without scoring. As a result, the Bosnians head into proceedings amidst a dreadful six-game losing streak. That disastrous run features a catastrophic 4-1 defeat to Luxembourg on their last competitive travel, derailing their hopes of pulling off an upset in Eindhoven. Moreover, the visitors last won a game as pre-match underdogs in 2018 (D7, L20), fueling the skepticism around Barbarez’s camp.