We look at three of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers Europe matches taking place on Thursday the 26th of March and suggest a bet in each game.
16 teams will do battle for 4 qualification spots for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
TURKEY vs ROMANIA
This is a Path C semi-final with the winner playing Slovakia or Kosovo for a spot in the World Cup.
Turkey have produced some strong results in recent World Cup qualifying matches. They drew 2-2 away to Spain in their latest outing and before that secured a 2-0 home victory over Bulgaria. Earlier in the campaign they recorded an impressive 4-1 win over Georgia and a dominant 6-1 away victory against Bulgaria, showing their attacking strength in this qualifying group.
Their only heavy setback came in a 6-0 defeat against Spain in September last year. Turkey have looked dangerous going forward in most of their recent fixtures and have been particularly strong at home where they tend to play with high intensity.
Romania come into this fixture with mixed form in their recent qualifiers. They recorded a huge 7-1 victory over San Marino in their latest match but had previously suffered a 3-1 defeat away to Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Before that they picked up a solid 1-0 victory over Austria and played out a 2-2 draw away to Cyprus, while they also defeated Cyprus 2-0 earlier in June last year. Romania have shown they can compete but have been slightly inconsistent against stronger opposition.
Head-to-Head
Their most recent meeting came in 2017 where Romania secured a 2-0 victory at home. However, Turkey did record a 2-0 win in a World Cup qualifier in 2013.
Betting – Click here to bet
Turkey 1.38
Draw 5.00
Romania 7.50
Verdict
Turkey’s strong attacking form and home advantage should give them the edge here. Romania are capable of scoring but may struggle to contain Turkey over the full match.
BET: Turkey to Win and Over 2.5 Goals at 1.98
ITALY vs NORTHERN IRELAND
This is a Path A semi-final with the winner playing Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina for a spot in the World Cup.
Italy have produced decent results in their recent World Cup qualifying matches despite one disappointing defeat. They suffered a 4-1 home defeat to Norway in their latest test but had previously recorded a 2-0 away victory over Moldova and a comfortable 3-0 home win against Israel.
Earlier in the campaign they defeated Estonia 3-1 away and secured an entertaining 5-4 victory away to Israel. Italy have shown strong attacking quality throughout the qualifiers and usually control matches against lower ranked opposition.
Northern Ireland have had a mixed qualifying campaign so far. They recorded a 1-0 home victory over Luxembourg in their most recent fixture but had lost 1-0 away to Slovakia before that and suffered a 1-0 defeat at home against Germany.
Previously they did secure a 2-0 victory over Slovakia but were beaten 3-1 away to Germany. Northern Ireland have generally struggled against stronger teams but remain competitive defensively.
Head-to-Head
Their last meeting ended in a goalless draw in Northern Ireland, while Italy previously won 2-0 at home during the same qualification campaign in 2021.
Betting – Click here to bet
Italy 1.29
Draw 5.50
Northern Ireland 11.00
Verdict
Italy should control possession and create the majority of chances in this match. Northern Ireland are usually well organised defensively but may struggle to keep Italy out in front of goal.
BET: Result and Both Teams to Score – Italy and No at 1.91
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WALES vs BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA
This is a Path A semi-final with the winner playing Italy or Northern Ireland for a spot in the World Cup.
Wales have been in excellent form in recent qualifiers. They recorded a massive 7-1 victory over North Macedonia in their latest match after securing a 1-0 away win against Liechtenstein.
Earlier in the qualifiers they lost 4-2 to Belgium but also recorded a 1-0 away victory over Kazakhstan and pushed Belgium in a narrow 4-3 defeat away from home. Wales have been competitive and dangerous going forward in most of their recent matches.
Bosnia & Herzegovina have also produced mixed but competitive results. They played out a 1-1 draw away to Austria in their latest action after securing a strong 3-1 victory over Romania. Prior to that they drew 2-2 with Cyprus but suffered a 2-1 defeat against Austria.
They did record a dominant 6-0 victory over San Marino earlier in the qualifiers. Bosnia have shown they can score goals but have also conceded regularly.
Head-to-Head
Bosnia & Herzegovina have historically had the advantage in this fixture, winning two of the previous meetings while two matches ended in draws. Wales have yet to beat Bosnia in previous encounters which adds an interesting dynamic to this match. Their most recent clash came in 2015 where Bosnia claimed a 2-0 triumph on home soil.
Betting – Click here to bet
Wales 1.80
Draw 3.50
Bosnia & Herzegovina 4.50
Verdict
Wales come into this match in strong scoring form and have been particularly effective at home. Bosnia are capable of scoring, but Wales may have the edge overall given their recent results and attacking momentum.
BET: Wales to Win at 1.80
Note: All prices were correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
