Having failed to reach the Euro 2012 via the play-offs, Bosnia-Herzegovina will be hoping to make things right and pip Republic of Ireland to a place at the Euro 2016.

Meanwhile, the Irish hope to qualify for successive European Championship finals for the first time in history, although they face serious problems ahead of the first leg in Zenica.

Bosnia-Herzegovina have seriously raised the team’s profile over the last few years and they finally made it to the major tournament finals last year in Brazil.

However, having disappointed in the group stage, the Dragons will want to show improvement at the Euro 2016, although they first need to qualify for France.

Bosnia did well to recover from the poor start to the qualifying campaign and eventually beat Israel and Cyprus to the third position in the group.

The Dragons have now been made 2.00 (1/1) favourites to win the first leg in Zenica as they plan to take advantage of the opposition selection problems.

There have been no major injury worries for Mehmed Bazdarevic, with Ermin Zec the only player that was forced to withdraw, while Rade Krunic and Marin Anicic were also dropped from the original squad.

Everton midfielder Muhamed Besic serves the final game of a three-match ban before he returns in the second leg in Dublin.

Probable starting line-up (4-2-3-1): Begovic – Mujdza, Vranjes, Spahic, Kolasinac – Medunjanin, Salihovic – Visca, Pjanic, Lulic – Dzeko.

Unlike their next opponents, Republic of Ireland had been placed in arguably the toughest Euro 2016 qualifying group and they have got to be congradulated for making the play-offs.

And while they narrowly missed out on the second place, the Irish impressed to leapfrog Scotland in the final few matches, but that was only half a job done.

Martin O’Neill’s charges now need to see off Bosnia as well if they want to make the second successive appearance at the European Championship finals, which is not going to be an easy task.

Namely, the boss has experienced plenty of selection problems, with Shay Given, Rob Elliot and Keiren Westwood all out through injury.

Jonathan Walters and John O’Shea are banned for the first leg, whereas Shane Long has failed to recover in time and he is out as well.

Ireland can be backed at 2.20 (6/5) to qualify for the tournament finals, but they clearly face an uphill task against Bosnia.

Probable starting line-up (4-2-3-1): Randolph – Coleman, Keogh, Wilson, Brady – Whelan, McCarthy – Hendrick, Hoolahan, McCLean – Murphy.