Key events
Half-time postbag. “For most of my life, it seems, I’ve been watching Italy try to hold on against opposition that aren’t on their level, only for the Azzuri to capitulate at the last,” writes Kári Tulinius. “That’s how they left their last World Cup, trying to cling to a nil-nil draw against Uruguay, only for Diego Godin to banish them from the competition for the next eight years. And maybe twelve.”
The nerves will be jangling from Como to Catania. Blood running cold up and down lo Stivale. Italy scored a fine goal, Moise Kean meeting Nicolò Barella’s precision pass and dispatching it nervelessly. But it’s the only nerveless thing Italy have done. Bosnia and Herzegovina have otherwise been all over them. The hosts have won a series of headers in the Italian box, without getting too much on target. And now their guests are down to ten men. If Bosnia and Herzegovina find their range in the second half, Italy will have their work cut out to cling on.
HALF TIME: Bosnia and Herzegovina 0-1 Italy
Before this game, Bosnia and Herzegovina coach Sergej Barbarez said that he was ready to “park the bus” if his side took the lead. With the Italians down to ten men, but one goal up thanks to Moise Kean’s fine strike, the boot could be on the other foot in the second half.
45 min +4: Locatelli heads Dedic’s free kick clear, and that’s that for the first half.
45 min +3: Dimarco needlessly slams into Bajraktarević out on the right. One last free kick, one last chance to swing something into the Italian box.
45 min +2: A cross in from the right now. Memic meets it at the left-hand corner of the six-yard box, and clips a header wide. Not far away from the top-left corner, but Donnarumma probably had it covered.
45 min +1: The first of three additional minutes sees Dedic skin Dimarco down the right and whip a dangerous ball through the Italian six-yard box. Italy really need to hear the half-time whistle.
45 min: The free kick’s sent into the mixer from the left by Bajraktarević. Memic wins a header at the far stick and powers it downwards. Donnarumma smothers. This could be a long evening for Donnarumma and his defenders.
44 min: Italy are forced to make a defensive change, sending on Gatti for a disappointed Retegui. But what could Gattuso do?
42 min: Donnarumma is livid. He should be livid with Bastoni, who was head of Memic at the start of the footrace, but let his opponent nip in front of him. Then the leg was telescoped, and the defender’s fate was sealed.
RED CARD: Bastoni (Italy)
41 min: Donnarumma takes a goal kick. It’s headed straight back by Demirovic down the inside-left channel. Memic gets ahead of last man Bastoni, who stretches out a leg and brings his man down, just before he could reach the box! The referee races over and has no hesitation in flashing red. This is huge!
40 min: Kean nearly steals the ball off last man Muharemović. But the Bosnia and Herzegovina defender spins cutely atop the ball and away from bother.
38 min: Bajraktarević curls a lovely cross in from the right for Demirović, who from 12 yards flashes a header inches wide of the bottom-left corner. Donnarumma was rooted to the spot. So close to an equaliser.
36 min: Tell you what, though: replays show that offside decision was close. Had he scored, VAR would have had to get the rulers out. I suspect he was the width of a few pixels off, but I wouldn’t bet the farm on that being the case. Italy certainly can be got at.
35 min: A long pass quarterbacked down the middle by Dzeko. Memic gets ahead of the Italian back line, just inside the box, but heads the dropping ball over the bar. It would have been a spectacular goal had he connected properly. Or a spectacular disallowed goal: the flag goes up for offside.
34 min: … and now Demirović wallops Calafiori from behind. Bosnia and Herzegovina perhaps showing a little frustration at the lack of reward for their efforts.
33 min: Barella slaloms elegantly down the middle of the park and is cynically clipped by Sunjic, who is slightly fortunate not to go into the book. Barella would have found himself in a lot of space had he got past Sunjic … which he kind of had. Lucky Sunjic.
31 min: … and now Mancini takes his sweet time over a throw, and is told by referee Clément Turpin to get a wriggle on.
30 min: Italy take a while to restart the game after that shot, then play some more patient passes around the back. Probably wise, given the pressure Bosnia and Herzegovina have been applying.
28 min: … and now Memic lashes one over the bar from long range. Meanwhile more from Bob Kurac: “Vasilj (= Basil) was being berated last week for Wales’ goal, and was generally having a bit of a shocker – soft save in the shoot out aside – whilst Darlow was performing miracles at the other end. But Bosnia were the better team after going one down, so let’s not write them off yet.”
27 min: Bajraktarević advances down the right and dinks into the middle, hoping to find Dzeko, a couple of yards out. But Bastoni clears.
25 min: The pitch isn’t exactly a bowling green, and so Locatelli’s low drive from distance bobbles erratically as it heads towards the bottom right. Vasilj gathers with great care.
24 min: Dedic cuts in from the right and aims for the top left. His shot deflects off Locatelli and out for a corner. The ball comes in from the right. Katić finds himself in a laughably large pocket of space, 12 yards out, and should do better than steering a weak header towards the bottom right. Easy for Donnarumma. More pace on that, and the keeper might have been in trouble. The hosts have responded really well to falling behind.
23 min: Italy have had a lot more possession, though. They’re on 61 percent right now.
22 min: … and it’s nearly two, as Politano and Mancini combine down the right, the latter’s low cross hacked clear by Katic under pressure from Retegui. This does not feel like a one-goal-will-settle-it game.
21 min: Bosnia and Herzegovina have now had six attempts at goal, to Italy’s one. But look at the scoreline.
20 min: Memic’s deep cross from the left wins a corner. It’s sent in from the right and only half cleared. Basić, in a pocket of space just to the right of the D, aims a rising screamer towards the top right. It’s heading in, but Donnarumma stretches to parry dramatically. Wonderful football all round.
19 min: The hosts have responded well to falling behind. Dzeko, Memic and Demirović are causing quite a few problems.
18 min: That was such a brave decision by Kean to take that shot first time. Many would have set themselves first by taking a touch. But Kean backed his talent. A wonderfully controlled finish. Fine assist by Barella, too. The less said about poor Vasilj the better.
16 min: Bosnia and Herzegovina nearly hit back immediately, a cross coming into the Italian box from the left, Katic flashing a header wide left from six yards. Big chance.
GOAL! Bosnia and Herzegovina 0-1 Italy (Kean 15)
This is a sensational finish. But it’s a goal that starts with a cock-up, the home keeper Vasilj slicing a simple clearance straight to Barella, 30 yards out, just to the right of centre. Barella rolls infield for Kean, who meets the ball first time on the edge of the D, opening his body to steer a powerful shot with the inside of his boot into the top right! Wow!
13 min: … Tonali scuffs the corner into the side netting. That was an awful delivery. Italy haven’t found their feet yet in the final third. A few nervous touches here and there.
12 min: Barella has the chance to slip Politano into space down the right. A simple pass that he overhits. But Politano gets there and hooks into the middle. The hosts half-clear, then Barella makes up for his earlier mistake by earning a corner down the right. And from that …
10 min: Italy settle things down a bit with some old-school passing around the back. Nice and patient, in the 1960s style.
8 min: Tonali sends a flat, fast cross in from the left. Retegui tries to flick a header on, ten yards out, but can’t connect properly. The hosts counter, Dzeko looping a ball down the left for Memic to chase. Barella comes across to usher the ball out for a throw. Bosnia and Herzegovina coach Sergej Barbarez suggests there was a naughty high-kick aimed at his player, but nobody else seems to mind.
7 min: Demirović picks up possession in the centre circle and is allowed to make his way down the inside-right channel, to the edge of the box. He has a dig. It’s straight at Donnarumma, who gathers. Not sure where the Italian midfield was there.
5 min: … and as a result, Italy’s coach is already on the touchline, palms down, the international gesture for Settle Down. “All eyes, then, on Gattuso as his players succeed or fail,” begins Charles Antaki. “Never blessed with classic Italian good looks, dear old Gennaro has filled out a bit since his prime years with Milan, and his slightly frog-like outline now makes you worry whether the tension might make him puff up and burst. Much to play for.”
4 min: Dzeko makes a nuisance of himself on the edge of the Italian box. He feeds Dedic on the left. A low cross is hacked clear by Calafiori … but straight into Locatelli and back out for a corner! That rebound could have gone absolutely anywhere. Nothing comes of the resulting corner. Italy’s defence was all over the shop during that build-up.
2 min: Dimarco goes long for Kean, who cushions down for Tonali. The ball’s slipped wide right to Politano, one of Italy’s better performers against Northern Ireland. But his cross hits the first man. The hosts clear their lines.
Bosnia and Herzegovina get the ball rolling! Calafiori and Dedic immediately run into each other in slapstick style. Onwards and upwards.
Here come the teams! A fine atmosphere at the Stadion Bilino Polje in Zenica, even if one stand is unpopulated. An intimate feel, exactly what Bosnia & Herzegovina were after. Coaches Sergej Barbarez and Gennaro Gattuso embrace warmly. Then the anthems: Italy roar theirs emotionally; the hosts listen, stock still, with hands on hearts. This means everything to everyone. Off in a minute!
As if there wasn’t enough pressure on Italy tonight, a couple of their players were caught on camera jigging around in delight when Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Wales on penalties. Guglielmo Vicario and Federico Dimarco the guilty parties. A slight that will no doubt be mentioned in the home side’s pre-match team-talk. “I don’t know why Italy preferred not to play in Wales,” wondered Edin Džeko. “We went there without fear and won. If Italy are afraid to play in Wales, something isn’t right.” Bear poked, seeds sown, gauntlet down.
Gatusso has tried to play down the controversy. “Despite what happened the other day, we know the truth of the matter is there isn’t a difference between Wales and Bosnia,” he insisted. “It’s honestly not a cliché to admit this is a tough match and we respect them.”
This promises to be good fun.
Pre-match postbag. “Bosnia play in Zenica, not the capital Sarajevo where there is a far bigger stadium, as it tends to rattle visiting teams. I saw them hold Portugal to a very creditable 0-0 in a Nov 2011 Euro qualifier first leg, despite Ronaldo hitting the bar in the last minute. Maybe the ground got to the visitors: however, they tonked them 6-2 in the second leg. No second leg tonight though” – Bob Kurac
“Isn’t Signor Gattuso married to a Scottish woman? Should his charges fail to qualify tonight, he will face a hard summer of watching the other team in blue go into battle to the cheers of his other half. Even if the jibes and banter will inevitably stop after three games” – Justin Kavanagh
Kit Watch. Bosnia and Herzegovina get first-kit dibs as the home side, so they’re playing in their blue shirts with yellow trim …
… and so the Azzurri are forced into second-choice white. Italy have always cut a dash in white shirts – see also Enzo Bearzot’s beyond-stylish sports jacket at the 1982 World Cup – so no complaints there. But there’s something slightly off about that redesigned shield. Not pointy enough at the bottom. Italy wearing adidas doesn’t sit right either. Come back, Diadora, make the world right again.
Bosnia and Herzegovina coach Sergej Barbarez makes one change to the side that started in Cardiff, replacing Benjamin Tahirović with Ivan Bašić in midfield. Sead Kolašinac, an injury concern after picking up a knock, starts in defence. Former Manchester City striker Edin Džeko, 40, leads their attack.
Italy boss Gennaro Gattuso names exactly the same starting XI. He’ll be keeping his fingers crossed that Sandro Tonali, who will set the tone in midfield, can last the full 90.
The teams
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Vasilj, Dedic, Muharemovic, Katic, Kolasinac, Bajraktarevic, Sunjic, Basic, Memic, Demirovic, Dzeko.
Subs: Hadzikic, Zlomislic, Mujakic, Celik, Tahirovic, Tabakovic, Radeljic, Alajbegovic, Burnic, Hadziahmetovic, Bazdar, Gigovic.
Italy: Donnarumma, Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori, Politano, Barella, Locatelli, Tonali, Dimarco, Kean, Retegui.
Subs: Carnesecchi, Meret, Palestra, Spinazzola, Buongiorno, Raspadori, Pisilli, Esposito, Cristante, Frattesi, Gatti, Cambiaso.
Referee: Clement Turpin (France).
Preamble
Boznia and Herzegovina want to get to the 2026 World Cup finals just as much as Italy. But we don’t write the rules, and this story is all about the Azzurri, who are in danger of becoming the first of the World Cup behemoths to fail to qualify for three tournaments in a row. Uruguay, France, Spain and England have all missed two on the bounce, but a third consecutive failure for a footballing nation of this import would be unprecedented. And no, the pre-totaalvoetbal Dutch don’t count.
Italy weren’t particularly good against Northern Ireland last week. But then neither were Bosnia and Herzegovina as they squeezed past Wales, and the four-time winners have a good record against the men from the Balkan Peninsula. Bosnia and Herzegovina won the first meeting between the countries, in 1996, but since then it’s been pretty much all Italy, with four wins and a draw from the five matches played between 2019 and 2024. So on balance, you’d expect Rino Gattuso’s team to make it to North America this summer … but then most folk thought they’d see off Sweden to get to 2018 and North Macedonia ahead of 2022, and look what happened there. Kick-off is at 7.45pm BST. It’s on!
