Ermedin Demirović was the most prolific Bosnia & Herzegovina international in the latest round of club matches, scoring twice for VfB Stuttgart. His efforts were not enough for points, as Stuttgart lost 3-2 to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga on Friday, 23 October.
Other national team players had mixed results. In the Bundesliga, Nikola Katić kept a clean sheet for Schalke 04 in a 0-0 draw against Köln on Saturday. Benjamin Tahirović helped Genk to a 2-1 win over Standard Liège in the Belgian league, while Esmir Bajraktarević played 83 minutes for PSV in a big Dutch derby against Feyenoord that ended 1-1.
Arjan Malić had a bitter experience in the Austrian Bundesliga.
These club performances come as the national team prepares for an important qualification fixture. The Bosnia & Herzegovina side has recorded one win, two draws and one loss in its last four official matches. The most recent success was a 1-0 victory over Poland in early October, with the only goal coming from an Ivan Bašić penalty. The focus now shifts to an away game against Sweden on 14 November, which will be a chance to secure more points.
The form of players at club level will be significant for the coach when selecting the squad for that match. Demirović's goals, Katić's solid defending, and the contributions of midfielders like Tahirović and Bajraktarević provide optimism. Malić, however, will need to be cautious following his sending-off. The final squad for the trip to Sweden will be confirmed in the coming days.
