Bosnia & Herz. 1 – 1 Italy
Bilino Polje Stadium • World Cup Qualifiers
Penalty Shootout (4 – 1)
First Half: Italy Leads, Bastoni Sees Red
Italy asserted early dominance with 62% possession. In the 15th minute, Moise Kean capitalized on a defensive blunder to fire a right-footed strike home (0-1). However, the match shifted in the 41st minute when Alessandro Bastoni was sent off for a professional foul on Memic, leaving Italy with 10 men.
Second Half: The Bosnian Siege
With a man advantage, Bosnia ramped up the pressure. After Donnarumma’s heroic saves, the breakthrough came in the 79th minute. Edin Dzeko provided a clinical assist for Haris Tabaković to tap in the equalizer. A tense VAR check confirmed the goal, forcing the game into extra time.
Extra Time: Defensive Resilience
Bosnia controlled 61% of the ball as Italy sat deep. Ermedin Demirovic nearly won it with an audacious bicycle kick in the 107th minute. Despite constant pressure and 36 crosses from the hosts, Italy’s 10-man defense held firm to force the deciding shootout.
Starting XI & Tactics
🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herz.
4-4-2🇮🇹 Italy
3-5-2Game-Changing Subs
Bosnia 1 – 1 Italy (4-1 Pen)
A heroic **Bosnia and Herzegovina** eliminated 10-man **Italy** at the Bilino Polje Stadium. Despite Moise Kean’s early goal, a professional foul by **Alessandro Bastoni** (41′) turned the tide. Bosnia dominated the second half, equalized through **Haris Tabaković**, and held firm through extra time before perfect clinical precision in the penalty shootout sealed the historic victory.
Top Players
The veteran striker was the focal point, providing the **crucial assist** for the equalizer and dominating the aerial battles, constantly testing the Italian defense with 8 shots on target.
Despite being on the losing side, Donnarumma’s **10 saves** single-handedly kept 10-man Italy in the game through normal and extra time, frustrating Bosnia’s siege.
Introduced in the first half, the young defender showed immense composure, anchoring the backline against Moise Kean and later organizing the attack during Bosnia’s 61% possession dominance.
Match Statistics
| BOSNIA | METRIC | ITALY |
|---|---|---|
| 61% | Possession | 39% |
| 11 | Shots on Target | 3 |
| 36 | Crosses Attempted | 9 |
| 10 | Corner Kicks | 4 |
| 2 | Goalkeeper Saves | 10 |
| 0 | Red Cards | 1 |
Disciplinary & VAR Report
| Minute | Player | Team | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 41′ | Alessandro Bastoni | 🇮🇹 Italy | RED CARD |
| 54′ | Benjamin Tahirović | 🇧🇦 Bosnia | YELLOW |
| 81′ | Gianluigi Donnarumma | 🇮🇹 Italy | YELLOW |
| 103′ | Tarik Muharemović | 🇧🇦 Bosnia | YELLOW |
| 114′ | Nikola Katić | 🇧🇦 Bosnia | YELLOW |
| 120+1′ | Davide Frattesi | 🇮🇹 Italy | YELLOW |