Bosnia and Herzegovina snapped their dismal run of 10 losses in 11 games with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League. Despite struggling to find a win in their last 12 League A matches, the hosts showed resilience to earn a valuable point.
The Netherlands, who made significant changes to their lineup, dominated the early stages. Stefan de Vrij’s powerful strike forced Martin Zlomislić into a spectacular save, setting the tone for the visitors’ aggressive start.
Midway through the first half, Brian Brobbey capitalized on Noa Lang’s cross with a clever backward header, scoring his first senior goal for the Netherlands. Both teams had goals disallowed for offside, with Lang and Brobbey combining again, while Amar Dedić’s flick narrowly crossed the line for Bosnia.
Zlomislić denied Joshua Zirkzee and Brobbey with a stunning double stop just before halftime, ensuring the hosts remained within striking distance.
Edin Džeko squandered a golden opportunity in the 59th minute, directing his free header straight at Mark Flekken. However, he made amends shortly after, only to be ruled offside.
The Netherlands continued to threaten, but Ermedin Demirović equalized midway through the second half with a delicate header. Demirović’s goal, his second against the Netherlands, came after Flekken parried Džeko’s initial strike.
Bosnia pushed for a winner late on but ultimately settled for a draw. This result extends their winless streak against the Netherlands to four matches. Meanwhile, the Netherlands’ recent form has raised concerns, with only one win in their last five games.
Netherlands joins Germany and six others in the quarterfinals of the Nations League to be played next summer.
Prior to this match, Bosnia had lost all four of their UEFA Nations League games. However, in this particular encounter, they managed to mount a comeback. As a result, they concluded their League A campaign on a more positive note by securing a draw, breaking their previous pattern of defeats in similar situations.
