Switzerland were held 1-1 by Qatar in their first Group B game
Bosnia-Herzegovina also drew 1-1 with Canada in their opener
Recommended bet: Switzerland to win and both teams to score @ 27/10
Switzerland were frustrated by Qatar in their World Cup 2026 opener as a very late equaliser meant they had to settle for a 1-1 draw, but they should respond positively against Bosnia-Herzegovina in their second Group B match in Los Angeles.
Breel Embolo's first-half penalty looked to have been enough for the Swiss in San Francisco but Qatar's Boualem Khoukhi headed home in stoppage time as Murat Yakin's men were made to pay for missing a host of chances.
Bosnia-Herzegovina also kicked off their campaign with a 1-1 draw when holding co-hosts Canada in Toronto, so three points for either side in LA would give them control of their group destiny.
Team news
There were no reported injuries in the Swiss camp after the Qatar draw so Yakin is likely to keep faith with much of the side he selected in the opener.
Well-known stars Manuel Akanji, Granit Xhaka, Dan Ndoye and Embolo will all likely start again, although Fabian Rieder could come into the midfield after doing well when introduced as a sub in the first game.
Bosnia-Herzegovina boss Sergej Barbarez somewhat surprisingly opted to leave Edin Dzeko — the country's all-time leading scorer with 73 international goals — on the bench against Canada, but the 40-year-old is pushing to start now. Dzeko has played just 67 minutes of football since the March play-off win over Italy.
Tricky winger Esmir Bajraktarevic should keep his place, as should midfield duo Amir Hadziahmetovic and Benjamin Tahirovic, while the experienced Sead Kolasinac will again line-up at left-back.
The stats
Switzerland are competing in their sixth successive World Cup.
Bosnia-Herzegovina failed to qualify for the 2018 or 2022 editions after being eliminated at the group stage in 2014.
Switzerland are unbeaten in their last four games, although three of those have been draws.
Bosnia-Herzegovina are unbeaten in their last nine matches but have been level at the end of 90 minutes in their last six.
Switzerland sit 19th in Fifa's world rankings, while Bosnia are ranked 63rd.
The last meeting between the two countries was a friendly in March 2016, when Bosnia-Herzegovina won 2-0.
The latest Switzerland vs Bosnia-Herzegovina odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
Switzerland were expected to get up and running with a comfortable victory over Qatar but, despite dominating, were held to a draw.
The Swiss had 68 per cent possession and won the shot count 26-6 but still couldn't secure the win so the pressure has increased on them for the second game against Bosnia-Herzegovina.
A win in LA would probably be enough to secure a last-32 place and there is enough quality in the Switzerland squad to get the job done.
Granit Xhaka, Dan Ndoye, Ruben Vargas an Breel Embolo are among their key men and even though they flattered to deceive in the opener, they should put on an improved display here.
Bosnia-Herzegovina started well enough against co-hosts Canada, going in front before conceding in the second half, and they can usually be relied upon to score, having found the back of the net in 15 of their last 16 games.
Therefore, a win for the Swiss with Bosnia also getting on the scoresheet appeals.
Score prediction: Switzerland 2-1 Bosnia-Herzegovina
