Austria will show respect for today’s opponent Bosnia-Herzegovina. One reason for this goes by the name Edin.
Edin Dzeko was one of the best strikers on the continent in his career and also shows 39 years nor his class. It was he who got through to a cross in the 3-1 win against Romania on Saturday, secured the ball and pushed it in to make it 1-1. It was the turning point in a game that went very badly for Bosnia for 45 minutes.
It was also Dzeko who scored the decisive goal in the Bosnians’ only win against Austria. In 2018, Bosnia won 1-0 in the Nations League. Overall, Dzeko has 72 goals after 145 games.
On Tuesday the Bosnians were weakened. Salzburg natives Amar Dedic and Nikola Katic are missing two key players as well as Dzenis Burnic due to yellow suspensions. Ermedin Demirovic, Adrian Leon Barisic, Stjepan Radeljic and Haris Hajradinovic are out injured. Sead Kolasinac is back in the squad after tearing his cruciate ligament, but was not used against Romania.
At the final press conference, team boss Sergej Barbarez was clearly looking forward to the deciding game. “I dreamed of this moment before qualifying, that we would have the chance to qualify directly in November, and that happened. Now I’m enjoying the moment and how the players are dealing with this situation,” said Barbarez at the Happel Stadium. The right lessons were learned from the 2-1 defeat against the ÖFB team in Zenica in September. “We analyzed the Austrians well and want to use our self-confidence to win.”
Storm debutant?
Emir Karic from Sturm Graz could make his debut. The 28-year-old from Linz went through the ÖFB youth teams, but after a call from Barbarez decided to play for his parents’ hometown. He was not yet eligible to play on Saturday against Romania. According to Barbarez, Karic was still waiting for permission to play on Monday evening.
The fact that the team’s arrival was hours late on Monday because of the wind fits in with the situation of the Bosnians, who do not want to be distracted by adverse circumstances.
The six duels against Bosnia-Herzegovina
- 9. September 2025: Bosnia – Austria 1:2
- 15. November 2018: Austria – Bosnia 0-0
- 11. September 2018: Bosnia – Austria 1-0
- March 31, 2015: Austria – Bosnia 1:1
- 5. September 2001: Austria – Bosnia 2-0
- March 24, 2001: Bosnia – Austria 1:1