USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina Predictions

• USA claimed six points in the group stage
• Bosnia have won just one of their last eight games in normal time
• USA have just one clean sheet in their last 11 games

USA looking to break Euro hoodoo

USA impressed during the group stages and the co-hosts will feel they have a chance to go far at the World Cup but they need to end a winless streak when they face Bosnia in the round of 32 on Wednesday night.

A 3-2 defeat to Turkiye in the final batch of group games means the USA are winless in 12 games against European teams, with 10 defeats. They haven’t managed a competitive win over a UEFA team since 2009 – when they upset Spain in the Confederations Cup.

That run will be a concern for head coach Mauricio Pochettino but probably not a huge one. Bosnia were the last European team to lose to the USMNT as they went down 2-0 in a friendly nearly five years ago and this fixture looks a perfect opportunity for the co-hosts to snap that streak before potentially tougher tests against European teams later in the tournament. The winner of this clash will face either Belgium or Senegal in the last 16.

USA may concede in victory

The USA are clear favourites to win and they should have enough quality to overcome this fairly limited Bosnia side.

The Stars and Stripes may have slipped up against Turkiye but they had already qualified as group winners by that point and Pochettino used the game as a chance to rest a few stars, prior to that they brushed Paraguay aside 4-1 and overcame Australia 2-0.

Bosnia claimed an impressive point against Canada in their opener but were well beaten in a 4-1 loss to Switzerland. Sergej Barbarez’s side sealed a knockout spot by beating minnows Qatar 3-1 in their final group game.

Bosnia were arguably lucky to claim a point against Canada, who were missing star man Alphonso Davies, and their limitations were exposed by the Swiss. The USA, particularly with home advantage, look to be their toughest test so far and the co-hosts have the quality to win this fairly comfortably but they may struggle to keep a clean sheet.

The USA have just one shut-out in their last 11 games and in their 2-0 win over the Socceroos they conceded plenty of chances. Bosnia have only failed to score in one of their last 18 games so they can at least strike in defeat.

Balogun a goal contender

A 3-1 win for the USA seems a reasonable correct score prediction as they have scored more than once in all of their World Cup games so far, while Bosnia have scored exactly one goal in five of their last seven games.

Folarin Balogun was rested by Pochettino against Turkiye and he should come back into the starting USA side against Bosnia. The Monaco forward scored twice against Paraguay and had a couple of chances against Australia without scoring, he looks a solid contender for an anytime effort against Bosnia.