Edin Dzeko Gives Bosnia-Herzegovina a Real Shot Over Belgium

By Adam Clifton @adamdclifton on October 13, 2014

Following a slow start in Group B action, Bosnia-Herzegovina look to bounce back against the most talented squad in the group, Belgium. Bosnia-Herzegovina was considered a dark horse to escape this group, but after a shocking defeat to Cyprus and a draw against Wales, the Bosnians will be desperate for points against Belgium.

Bosnia-Herzegovina has steadily built momentum in the past few years. After qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, expectations were high for this Bosnian side. Unfortunately, they were not able to advance out of their group in Brazil. Now, they turn their attention to the 2016 European Championship. Looking to shake off their rough start in group play, they face a tough test against Belgium.

One thing Bosnia-Herzegovina can hope for is the familiarity that their star striker, Edin Dzeko, has with the defense of Belgium. Dzeko is the club teammate of Vincent Kompany at Manchester City. Dzeko should be very familiar with Kompany. Hopefully for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Dzeko can turn this familiarity into goals for his team. He is one of the most experienced players on this team and his teammates will look to him to carry the scoring responsibilities in this matchup. Goals have been hard to come by for Bosnia-Herzegovina so far in this tournament, scoring just one goal in two games.

Belgium’s squad is made up of stars from some of the biggest club teams on the planet. Led by their young star, Eden Hazard, Belgium has attacking talent all over the field. Despite their youth, many people believe that Belgium is one of the best national teams in the world and could be a contender to win the European Championship. This incredibly talented squad scratched the surface of their abilities when they knocked out the United States on the way to a quarterfinal showing at the World Cup. With a strong attacking lineup, Belgium is also very stout defensively, led by their captain, Kompany. Belgium has put together a solid squad, but will they be able to withstand a desperate Bosnian side?

If Bosnia-Herzegovina want to have a realistic chance of advancing out of Group B, they must get a victory against Belgium. Despite playing the most talented team in the group, Bosnia-Herzegovina have a very good chance of getting a win in this matchup. If Dzeko can display some of his prolific form that he has demonstrated for his club team, this team can be very successful. However, if Belgium can shut down Dzeko and take advantage of their potent attacking talent, it could be a long day for Bosnia-Herzegovina. In matchups like this, the desperate teams are usually the ones that come out on top. Belgium wants to win this game, but Bosnia-Herzegovina is desperate to win.