Preview: Romania vs Bosnia-Herzegovina - prediction, team news, lineups

Romania will play their first home clash of the 2026-27 Nations League B at Arena Nationala on Monday against visitors Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Both teams have started their campaigns in the tournament, with the hosts last in fourth with no points having lost 2-1 against Sweden on Friday, whereas Bosnia-Herzegovina drew 0-0 with Poland on the same date and are second with one point.

Match preview

Romania will feel that they should have taken at least a point from their clash with Sweden considering neither team produced many moments of quality in the final third.

It would also be understandable if goalkeeper Ionut Radu was disappointed given he should arguably have saved Alexander Isak's strike, though he can hardly be blamed for the team's overall struggles.

Tricolorii have lost four, drawn one and won just two of their last six games in all competitions, conceding 10 goals and only keeping one clean sheet.

However, it should be noted that Gheorghe Hagi's side have won each of their past four clashes at home, the most recent of which was a 2-1 success against Wales in June.

Romania scored 12 times in those four games, while they have only once conceded more than one goal in their last 10 fixtures when playing at home.

Bosnia-Herzegovina defended well for large parts of their clash with Poland, restricting their opponents to just one big chance.

Boss Sergej Barbarez may have some concerns about his team's attacking output considering that stalemate was not only their second consecutive match without a goal, but also the ninth time in 10 games that they netted one or fewer times.

Victory for the visitors would be their third in a row against Romania, with the pair's last meeting a 3-1 triumph for Zmajevi against Monday's hosts.

Bosnia-Herzegovina's only two defeats in their past 13 clashes came during the 2026 World Cup - 4-1 and 2-0 losses against Switzerland and the USA - but their draw with Poland was the sixth time in seven games that they failed to win (W1, D4, L2).

Barbarez's side are also winless in their five most recent away matches, a stretch in which they suffered two defeats.

Romania Nations League form:

Romania form (all competitions):

Bosnia-Herzegovina Nations League form:

Bosnia-Herzegovina form (all competitions):

Team News

Romania will need greater attacking output from forwards Dennis Man and Louis Munteanu, though the pair would benefit if Ianis Hagi was able to create chances for them.

Hagi will likely start in an advanced role, but he will only be at his best if midfielders Tudor Baluta and Razvan Marin provide a platform for him from the double pivot.

Centre-back Radu Dragusin is set to be stationed next to defenders Andrei Coubis and Virgil Ghita.

Should Bosnia-Herzegovina use the same 4-4-2 system that they deployed against Poland, expect to see Ermedin Demirovic and Haris Tabakovic paired together up front.

Ivan Basic and Ivan Sunjic may be asked to protect a four-man defence featuring defenders Nikola Katic and Tarik Muharemovic.

Romania possible starting lineup:

Radu; Coubis, Dragusin, Ghita; Ratiu, Baluta, Marin, Bancu; Hagi; Man, Munteanu

Bosnia-Herzegovina possible starting lineup:

Zlomislic; Smajlovic, Katic, Muharemovic, Kolasinac; Bajraktarevic, Basic, Sunjic, Alajbegovic; Demirovic, Tabakovic