Our prediction for this match:
Bilino Polje stadium in Zenica will host Thursday’s friendly between Bosnia and Georgia, the two teams who meet for the first time ever on the international stage. The Balkan Dragons failed to impress in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, with the team collecting only seven points in the process, and, as a result, they will not take part at the showpiece tournament in Qatar. Vladan Kovacevic has received a long-awaited call-up, while experienced midfielder Miralem Pjanic is injured for the hosts.
As always, Edin Dzeko will lead the line for the Bosnians. The former Soviet republic, on the other hand, did well to shock Sweden (2-0) in their last group game, but that did not help them book their place at the 2022 World Cup finals. The Georgians are not regarded as good travelers, which is probably the main reason why home win should be considered.
Highlighted Player (Rade Krunic):
Rade Krunic is a product of Sutjeska Foca youth football school. The Bosnia international was born in Foca on October 7, 1993 and 19 years later he made his senior debut with his hometown club Sutjeska.
After scoring three goals in 15 appearances for the Bosnian club, the Bosnian midfielder moved to Serbian side Donji Srem in 2013. In 2014 he signed a contract with Italian side Hellas Verona, but he was immediately loaned back to Donji Srem. In 2015 Rade Krunic made 13 appearances for Serbian side Borac Cacak before joining yet another Italian team Empoli.
He has been playing for the Azzurri ever since and it has to be noted that he scored his first goal for the Serie A side in a 2-0 win over Genoa in October, 2015. Speaking of his international career, Krunic made his Bosnia and Herzegovina debut in a friendly against Denmark on June 3, 2016. He has 8 caps for Bosnia and Herzegovina U21 team as well.
Highlighted Team (Georgia):
Georgia are yet another former Soviet republic who have been competing as an independent country since 1990. The Georgians had their international debut on May 27, 1990, with the team sharing the spoils with Lithuania in Tbilisi.
Georgia have been struggling in the qualifiers for both FIFA World Cup and the European Championship ever since they played their first qualifying game and they have yet to book their place at the finals of the major tournaments. The Georgian national football team recorded their biggest win on March 30, 1997, with the team hammering Armenia in front of home fans, but they were demolished by Denmark (1-6) eight years later and that is considered the team’s biggest loss.
The Likes of Kakha Kaladze and Shota Arveladze are considered Georgia’s most famous players. Kakha Kaladze played for Georgia from 1996 to 2011, scoring one goal in 83 appearances for the national team. The left-footed defender won two Champions League titles with Serie A giants AC Milan (2003, 2007).