Poland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina Football 25 September 2026: A Fresh Group B4 Test in Warsaw
The opening round of League B Group B4 brings together two sides whose recent international paths have taken very different turns.
Poland are beginning a new Nations League campaign after relegation from League A, while Bosnia and Herzegovina are entering the group after a notable 2026 World Cup experience.
The schedule makes the opening assignment particularly demanding, with both teams facing four Nations League matches during the September and October sequence.
For Bosnia and Herzegovina, the trip to Warsaw is followed only three days later by another away fixture against Romania.
Poland, meanwhile, travel to Sweden next before returning home to face Romania in the third round of the group phase.
The first fixture therefore arrives with plenty of context, but the confirmed selections provide the clearest indication of how Jan Urban and Sergej Barbarez have approached the opening chapter.
The tactical interest starts with the personnel rather than a predicted formation, because both official lineups contain several players capable of changing their positions during possession.
Poland have Robert Lewandowski leading the attack, with Piotr Zieliński and Sebastian Szymański among the central creative figures selected by Urban.
Matty Cash gives the Polish side an established outlet on the right, while Jakub Kiwior and Jan Bednarek form part of the defensive structure in front of Marcin Bułka.
Bosnia and Herzegovina counter with Ermedin Demirović and Haris Tabaković among their attacking options, supported by Esmir Bajraktarević and Kerim Alajbegović.
Sead Kolašinac wears the captain’s armband, while Ivan Bašić and Ivan Šunjić provide experience through the midfield area.
That combination creates several individual battles to follow, particularly around Poland’s central creators and Bosnia’s ability to connect midfield possession with their forward line.
Injury news has altered both squads before the match, although the nature of the absences is not identical.
Poland officially confirmed that Adrian Benedyczak, Kamil Grabara and Filip Rózga would miss the international gathering because of injuries, with Bartłomiej Drągowski and Marcel Reguła added to the squad.
Bosnia and Herzegovina have lost Amar Dedić after he aggravated a hamstring problem, with Barbarez confirming that the defender would miss the Nations League window.
Kenan Busuladžić is facing a much longer absence after Malmö confirmed a knee ligament injury that ended his season before he could make his senior international debut.
Kerim Alajbegović had initially experienced hip pain, but Barbarez subsequently indicated that the midfielder was expected to be available, so he is not listed as an injury absence here.
The distinction matters because this preview uses only confirmed availability information rather than turning every reported fitness concern into an injury classification.
The pre-match conversation in Poland has centred on Urban’s rebuilding work, Lewandowski’s role and the need to begin the Nations League cycle with a clear structure.
Bosnian coverage has focused heavily on the demanding schedule, the absence of Dedić and Busuladžić, and Barbarez’s decision to bring several additional players into the group.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina federation has also highlighted the unusual workload, with Poland followed by Romania away before two home fixtures against Sweden and Poland.
There is another layer to the occasion for the visitors, whose 2026 World Cup campaign gave the squad recent experience against high-level international opposition.
For Poland, this is an opportunity to begin their return campaign in League B with their main attacking reference available and a clearly defined group schedule ahead.
Nothing from the match itself needs to be revealed here: the focus remains on the circumstances, selections and tactical questions present before the contest begins.
❗ Confirmed Fitness Report & Missing Players
Poland
| Poland Injury List | ||
|---|---|---|
| Out / Ruled Out | Adrian Benedyczak | Injury; unavailable for the September and October international gathering |
| Out / Ruled Out | Kamil Grabara | Injury; withdrew from the Poland squad |
| Out / Ruled Out | Filip Rózga | Injury; withdrew from the Poland squad |
Bosnia and Herzegovina
| Bosnia and Herzegovina Injury List | ||
|---|---|---|
| Long-Term / IR | Kenan Busuladžić | Knee ligament injury; Malmö confirmed that his season is over |
| Out / Ruled Out | Amar Dedić | Re-aggravated hamstring injury; ruled out of the Nations League window |
Poland’s three withdrawals were officially announced by the Polish Football Association. Bosnia and Herzegovina coach Sergej Barbarez confirmed Dedić’s absence, while Malmö’s confirmation of Busuladžić’s ligament injury supports the long-term classification used above.
🟢 Named Matchday Sides and Key Personnel
Poland — Confirmed Starting XI
| Poland Starting XI | ||
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Marcin Bułka | Starting goalkeeper |
| Defender | Matty Cash | Starting defender |
| Defender | Jan Bednarek | Starting defender |
| Defender | Jakub Kiwior | Starting defender |
| Midfielder | Bartosz Slisz | Starting midfielder |
| Attacker | Jakub Kamiński | Starting attacking player |
| Forward | Robert Lewandowski | Captain and starting forward |
| Midfielder | Piotr Zieliński | Starting midfielder |
| Defender | Michał Skóraś | Starting wide player |
| Midfielder | Sebastian Szymański | Starting attacking midfielder |
| Defender | Kacper Potulski | Starting defender |
Bosnia and Herzegovina — Confirmed Starting XI
| Bosnia and Herzegovina Starting XI | ||
|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Martin Zlomislić | Starting goalkeeper |
| Defender | Tarik Muharemović | Starting defender |
| Defender | Sead Kolašinac | Captain and starting defender |
| Defender | Zinedin Smajlović | Starting defender |
| Forward | Ermedin Demirović | Starting forward |
| Midfielder | Ivan Bašić | Starting midfielder |
| Midfielder | Ivan Šunjić | Starting midfielder |
| Defender | Nikola Katić | Starting defender |
| Midfielder | Kerim Alajbegović | Starting attacking player |
| Attacker | Esmir Bajraktarević | Starting attacking player |
| Forward | Haris Tabaković | Starting forward |
The official Bosnia and Herzegovina federation match page lists the starting XIs for both teams, with Bułka, Cash, Bednarek, Kiwior, Slisz, Kamiński, Lewandowski, Zieliński, Skóraś, Szymański and Potulski for Poland, and Zlomislić, Muharemović, Kolašinac, Smajlović, Demirović, Bašić, Šunjić, Katić, Alajbegović, Bajraktarević and Tabaković for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
📰 What the Press Is Watching Before Kickoff
- Poland’s reset in League B: UEFA identifies Poland among the teams attempting to return to League A after relegation in the previous Nations League edition.
- Lewandowski remains central: The official lineup confirms the veteran forward starts and wears the captain’s armband for Poland.
- Bosnia’s difficult opening sequence: The federation has highlighted the four-match schedule, beginning with two consecutive away fixtures against Poland and Romania.
- Dedić’s absence: Barbarez confirmed that the Newcastle defender’s renewed hamstring problem rules him out of the current Nations League window.
- New personnel in Bosnia’s squad: Several additional players were brought into the group after the injury problems, including Benjamin Tahirović, Ajdin Hasić, Arjan Malić and Luka Đurić.
🔍 Tactical Threads to Follow
- Lewandowski against Bosnia’s central defenders: The Polish captain provides a fixed reference point for the home attack, with Kolašinac, Katić and Muharemović among the defenders selected for Bosnia.
- Zieliński and Szymański: Poland have two technically strong central attacking players in the starting lineup, giving Urban options between midfield and the final third.
- Bosnia’s forward pairing: Demirović and Tabaković give Barbarez two different physical and technical references in advanced positions.
- Right-side adjustment: Dedić’s absence means Bosnia begin without one of their regular wide defensive options, increasing attention on how the selected defensive unit handles Poland’s movement.
- Midfield experience: Slisz faces Bašić and Šunjić in an area where ball recovery and the first forward pass can determine how quickly each side progresses.
📌 Group B4 Context Before the Action
Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania and Sweden form League B Group B4 in the 2026/27 Nations League.
The group schedule is unusually compressed, with all four teams playing four fixtures between 25 September and 5 October before the final two rounds in November.
Poland face Bosnia and Herzegovina in Warsaw before travelling to Sweden, then return home to meet Romania.
Bosnia travel to Romania immediately after the Warsaw fixture before returning home for matches against Sweden and Poland.
That schedule places an early premium on squad depth, recovery and the ability to maintain tactical discipline across consecutive international matches.
For this opening fixture, however, the confirmed selections offer the most reliable pre-match picture of the personnel and roles each coaching staff has chosen.
Variation rule used for this article: this preview avoids a conventional venue-first or injury-first opening and instead moves from the group schedule into tactical personnel, then availability, press context and confirmed lineups, keeping the match narrative entirely pre-action.
| ⚽Full Match | |
|---|---|
| 🥅 Watch | Server #1 |
