For Bosnia and Herzegovina, the visit to Solna is less about fear of the opponent and more about proving the team belongs on the same pitch. Sergej Barbarez made that much clear on the eve of UEFA Nations League Matchday 5, arguing that Sweden may look stronger on paper, but that does not decide anything once the game starts.
The match is set for tomorrow at 20:45 in Strawberry Arena in Solna, and Barbarez's message was built around confidence, not caution. He said Bosnia and Herzegovina do not intend to obsess over one Swedish player, even with Alexander Isak offering an obvious threat. Sweden, he noted, are a national team on the rise, but his own side have the right to go toe-to-toe.
That belief is not coming out of nowhere. Barbarez pointed to Bosnia and Herzegovina's positive stretch over their last 15 matches and said the team has earned this chance through work and effort. He also stressed that the group understands the size of the task, while still seeing a real opening if the structure holds and the team keeps its focus on itself rather than the opponent's names.
The coach's most telling line may have been the simplest one: the goal is to win the match. That sounds obvious, but in this setting it matters. Bosnia and Herzegovina are not arriving in Solna to manage damage or wait for Sweden to make a mistake. Barbarez described the plan as active and ambitious, with the team looking to make the most of an opportunity that could be a major step toward securing first.
Fitness, selection and the broader challenge
Barbarez also offered a clear update on squad availability. Only Jovo is dealing with minor back issues, while everyone else is healthy and eager. That matters in a match where the margin for error is likely to be slim, especially against a Sweden side Barbarez described as strong, stable in system and improved by the arrival of nine new players.
He was equally direct about Bosnia and Herzegovina's belief in their own options. Barbarez said the team might field some players who did not feature in the first match, and he highlighted the form of Esmir Bajraktarević, Kerim, Tarik Muharemović and Dedić at their clubs. The point was not to lean on reputation, but to show that the squad has enough quality to match Sweden physically and tactically.
That is where the match becomes interesting. Sweden may be stronger on paper, but Barbarez's argument is that paper does not press, recover or keep shape for 90 minutes. If Bosnia and Herzegovina can keep the game balanced and turn it into an 11-against-11 contest in which confidence travels with the ball, then Solna could become more than a difficult away assignment. It could become another step in a campaign that Barbarez clearly thinks is still moving upward.
