Bosnia-Herzegovina to give France a rough ride
World champions France continue their road to the World Cup in Qatar next year by playing their third qualification match in a week, this time away to Bosnia-Herzegovina. Didier Deschamps' men have been largely underwhelming ever since lifting the trophy in Russia, and have accrued four points from their opening two games against Ukraine and Kazakhstan respectively. Meanwhile, their hosts for Wednesday evening's fixture earned a creditable 2-2 draw in Finland, and also held Costa Rica to a stalemate in a friendly. Whilst unlikely to cause a shock, they can make life uncomfortable for Les Bleus. Read our preview here:
Edin again, a decade on
New head coach Ivaylo Petev will be hoping to build on the point gained from his first match in charge of the national team. The Bulgarian will retain two of the young country's leading lights at his disposal - captain and record scorer Edin Džeko and vice-captain and conductor-in-chief Miralem Pjanić. This is likely to prove the former's last tilt at an international tournament, having also featured in the class of 2014, but his influence is undiminished, especially with few contenders for his crown up front. He retains the ability to bring others into play, and as well as still being dominant in the air, his movement must be kept in check by Raphaël Varane and Presnel Kimpembe. Neither of the highly regarded duo are having stellar seasons, and if Zmajevi can move the ball forward quickly, they will get the chances to disrupt France's defence.
Victor, Hugo?
Another highly senior member of the French setup who hasn't covered himself in glory during 2020/2021 is Hugo Lloris. Being a goalkeeper inevitably means the greatest of scrutiny when even a single mistake is made, but the Tottenham Hotspur shot-stopper has made several high profile ones, and looks to be on his way out of the club in the summer, regardless of whether José Mourinho retains the confidence of the board. For now though, Deschamps is sticking by him, and he'll have to hope the rearguard do a better job of protecting him than they did against Ukraine. Little elaboration is required regarding the attacking end of the pitch, but there'll be a remarkable similarity between the two sides' choices for the sole berth up front. Olivier Giroud is the conduit to bring the more explosive talents into the final third, and he and Džeko have often gone underappreciated for how much they truly contribute.
Vas-y!
As with almost any other encounter, France are going to be strong favourites. They have an embarrassment of riches in most areas, and that's before even mentioning the talent in the U21s. Even so, there's often a feeling that under Deschamps, they're never truly let off the leash, and that has at times bred complacency. Whilst they ought to have too much for Bosnia-Herzegovina, don't be surprised if both sides are on the scoresheet. bet365 have surprisingly long odds of 2.25 for that.
