Dobra analiza koja sam naso na BigSoccerBosnia na Engleskom:
Game: Bosnia & Herzegovina v. Greece (2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifier)
Date: Friday, March 22, 2013
Time: 20:45 CET
Venue: Zenica, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Stadium: Bilino Polje
Referee: Bjorn Kuipers (Netherlands)
Importance of this fixture:
It's a big game in Group G of the UEFA World Cup qualifiers - Bosnia and Greece are both deadlocked on top of the group with 10 points each from their opening four games (including a goalless draw between the two sides in Athens last October), though Bosnia hold top spot due to their far superior goal difference; Bosnia has scored three times as many goals as the Greeks have so far. The winner of this game will take a huge step towards qualifying for next year's finals in Brazil and will win the head-to-head battle between the two teams, meaning the match will essentially be an extra point in relation to the loser of the match which would lead to a four point deficit to make up for the loser. A tall order and neither side wants to go through the playoffs again this year, less so Bosnia after two disappointments against Portugal at such a stage in the last two campaigns have only made the team more ambitious to avoid such a fate again. A draw between the two sides would put Bosnia in a tougher spot to finish top of the group as the remaining matches of the qualifications include matches against Slovakia, Lithuania, and Latvia all away, while Greece faces Slovakia and Latvia at home.
What to expect:
The facts are clear - in just four games, the Bosnians have racked up 15 goals while Greece has only managed a third of that with 5 to their name so far in this campaign. The Greeks are notorious for their defensive, counter-attacking, and efficient approach, something that took them as far as winning the European Championship in Portugal in 2004. Bosnia-Herzegovina is well known for being a fluid, attacking team so the bulk of the chances are expected to be created by the home side, but they will have to be wary as Greece perform well in big games and know how to hit right and hit hard on counterattacks and set pieces. Slovakia dominated the Greeks at home but still ended up losing 0-1 - the Bosnian team will look to hit the Greeks hard and early.
Match Facts:
- Bosnia-Herzegovina has only ever lost 4 official matches at Bilino Polje in its football history, two UEFA EURO 2008 qualifiers against Hungary and Greece, as well as 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Spain and Portugal.
- Greece hasn't lost a competitive away qualifier since September 5, 2009, when they lost 2-0 in Basel to Switzerland, which condemned them to a place in the playoffs for a World Cup spot where they went on to qualify.
- Bosnia will be unable to rely on Sejad Salihovic of Hoffenheim and are sweating on the fitness of Miralem Pjanic and captain Emir Spahic.
-Greece are missing Nikos Spyropoulos, Sotiris Ninis, and the injured Kyriakos Papadopoulos.
Players To Watch:
- Zvjezdan Misimovic (Bosnia & Herzegovina): Misimovic had been dropped from the national team for last month's friendly match against Slovenia due to his lack of match fitness, his ever dropping level of form at club level, and his move to far-out China, but the move to Chinese club Guizhou Renhe has in fact revitalized the playmaker who has been in terrific form lately and, with the injury worries of Pjanic, has re-earned himself a call-up to the national team. He will be looking to extend his stay in the team though and this is his big chance to prove he is still the player of the last decade for his country. With 23 goals (and an even greater number of assists) in 72 matches for the country, he is arguably the most successful player to play for the national team and will undoubtedly be one of Bosnia's most important factors against Greece. It just might be one of these nights where 'Miske' takes the game by the scruff of its neck.
- Georgios Samaras (Greece): The Celtic striker has just recovered in time to take part in a crucial match for his country. The tall center-forward is undoubtedly the key man for Greece. He may not see as much of the ball as some of the attacking players for Bosnia may, but his strength, pace, hold-up play, and ability to play on the counter could cause a lot of damage to the Bosnian back-line, which will also have to deal with the threat Salpingidis and Gekas possess in Greece's attack. Samaras is known to play a very gritty style of football and will not shy away from duels - he will be the key factor as Greece looks to score in Bilino Polje and will have to be closely watched by the likes of Mensur Mujdza, Emir Spahic, and Ognjen Vranjes in Bosnia's backline.
Projected Lineups and Key Duels:
-Vranjes vs. Samaras: The young, strong defender meets the main man of Greece's attack, again. Samaras got the better of Vranjes in Athens back in October, especially so on a moment that could have tilted the game into Greece's favor, but Gekas hit the post from point blank. It'll be another key duel this time around with the experience of already meeting each other once and with this being a big game where small details could be decided, it could well be a duel such as this one that proves the key. Expect Mujdza, Spahic, and Zahirovic to help neutralize the Greek front three.
-Lulic vs. Torosidis: The fact that Salpingidis is a player who often makes forward runs into the box and drifts mainly inside means that Lulic's defensive duties won't be a heavy burden on him, especially as Bosnia is expected to control the game and have a lot of possession. In this lineup, Lulic is the only serious wide threat Bosnia have that could make the cunning difference in such a tight, compact game. He'll be up against the experienced Vasilis Torosidis of Roma who is a very good marker that has a particular knack for getting to the ball before his opponent does. If Lulic manages to get the better of him and send crosses into the box, it could be a big boost to Bosnia's chances of winning the game.
-Misimovic vs. Karagounis: The returning Misimovic is expected to dominate the midfield and create plenty of opportunities up front but the man marking him in midfield will be the 36-year old veteran and captain Giorgos Karagounis, one of the remaining survivors of that Greek triumph in Portugal nine years ago. Age isn't exactly on the bright side for either of these players but they both have a ton of experience for such occasions and it could be a fascinating midfield battle of experience which could shape the oscillation down the middle of the park.
-Dzeko vs. Papastathopoulos: The Bosnian hit-man and star forward up will face a defender who has been improving since his move to German club Werder Bremen last season. With Sokratis being over 6 feet tall himself, height certainly won't be a big disadvantage for him against Dzeko and it could come down to how much support Edin gets up front, but he will have to shake off Sokrates and possibly Avraam if he is to get those shots away to trouble Greece.
Greece's Weak Links and Weaknesses: Despite having plenty of
experienced players in their defense, Greece's back-line isn't very good
technically and high pressuring from the Bosnian forwards could lead to mistakes
and giveaways. They often also leave gaps in the center which can be
exploited by someone with excellent creative passing abilities like Misimovic and Pjanic if fit.
They lack a creative playmaker in middle with the absence of Sotiris Ninis, though
their main goal in this match is to set up an organized unit of defenders and hit hard from counters so it might not be too big of a bother on their part that they will lack such a player.
Head to Head Results:
That picture says it all. Bosnia have never beaten Greece in a competitive game before in their history after playing them six times to date. Will Friday be the day that all changes and Bosnia takes a big step towards World Cup qualification for next year's finals in Brazil? BigSoccerBosnia sure hopes so!