Malta vs Bosnia and Herzegovina prediction, H2H and probable lineups - October 12, 2025
One of Sunday’s international friendlies will take place at the Ta’ Qali Stadium in the city of the same name, where the Malta national team will host Bosnia and Herzegovina. Here’s my pick for the outcome of this clash, with solid odds for success.
Match preview
The hosts step onto the pitch after a heavy 0-4 defeat to the Netherlands in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Emilio De Leo’s side sits bottom of their group and is out of contention for top spots, but Malta have looked much more confident in friendly encounters.
In September, they defeated San Marino 3-1 and drew twice with Lithuania in qualifying. On home turf, Malta traditionally plays with aggression, looking to transition quickly into attack, relying on pace down the flanks and set pieces. In their last five matches, Malta has lost only twice—against the Netherlands and Finland.
The visitors head into this fixture in good form, currently second in their qualifying group after a 2-2 draw with Cyprus. Sergej Barbarez’s squad has won four out of six qualifying matches and remains in a strong position to reach the World Cup.
Bosnia intends to use this match to build team chemistry ahead of crucial games against Romania and Austria, and could give opportunities to young talents such as Samed Bazdar and Kerim Alajbegovic. Despite a refreshed lineup, the visitors still have the edge in quality and individual skill, which could be decisive in this matchup.
Probable lineups
- Malta: Bonello, Borg, Shaw, Pepe, Camenzuli, Guillaumier, Satariano, Mbong, Teuma, Jones, Cardona
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: Hadzikic, Dedic, Katic, Kospo, Mujakic, Menalo, Tahirovic, Memic, Gigovic, Alajbegovic, Bazdar
Match facts and head-to-head
- Bosnia and Herzegovina have won their last three head-to-head matches against Malta.
- Malta hasn’t won an official match since October 2023.
- Bosnia has scored at least two goals in four of their last six games.
Prediction
Both teams will take the field with different objectives: Malta continues to build for the future, while Bosnia will treat this as a dress rehearsal ahead of crucial qualifiers. The visitors boast a higher-quality squad and are expected to make that advantage count.
