2 hours ago
8
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
Post-match postbag. “Here in Italy, the commentators are incandescent that Muharemović wasn’t sent off. He clearly fouled the last man” – Colum Fordham
“I suppose it’s scant consolation at the moment but the Italians will always have the classic Cassata ice cream dessert at their disposal. When you produce such finely layered, world-class gelatos, it doesn’t really matter if you can’t do the same with your football team. Actually thought they fought hard and were a bit unlucky throughout. Should have finished their glut of chances in the second half” – Chris Paraskevas
“Meloni! Can you hear me, Georgia Meloni? Bonucci, Di Canio, da Vinci... your boys took a hell of a beating!” – James Humphries (because somebody had to)
One shiny bronze centesimo di lira for the thoughts of Federico Dimarco and Guglielmo Vicario, caught on camera celebrating Bosnia and Herzegovina’s victory over Wales. “If Italy are afraid to play in Wales, something isn’t right,” Edin Džeko wondered aloud, before the game. Well, one of the behemoths of the World Cup will be missing for the third time in a row. Something isn’t right, that much is clear.
The Stadion Bilino Polje is bouncing! It’s party time for Bosnia and Herzegovina, who have reached only their second finals, following their appearance in 2014! It’s hard to argue against their deserving it, too: they made 723 passes tonight to Italy’s 420, and took 31 attempts at goal to Italy’s nine, with 11 on target to the Azzurri’s three. Italian football is in a very dark place right now … and yet in the middle of this unprecedented run of failure, they managed to pop a European Championship onto their roll of honour. This might just be the weirdest sequence in the long history of international football.
RESULT: Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 Italy (Bosnia and Hersegovina win 4-1 on pens)
Esmir Bajraktarević can hardly believe what he’s just achieved. Gianluigi Donnarumma sits and stews – he really should have stopped that last penalty. Then the keeper gets up and starts another argument. He’s pulled away from it, thankfully. Gennaro Gattuso meanwhile does the sporting thing, offering his congratulations, despite his, and Italy’s world, falling apart. Italy have become the first former winner to miss three finals in a row.
PENALTIES: Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1 Italy. Bajraktarević aims for the bottom right … and though Donnarumma guesses correctly, and gets a hand to it, the ball squirts in! Bosnia and Herzegovina are going to the 2026 World Cup!
PENALTIES: Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1 Italy. Now it’s Cristante for Italy. Another must-score. But he clatters a rising shot down the middle off the underside of the bar, and back out! Italy on the brink! Yet again!
PENALTIES: Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-1 Italy. Alajbegović, 18, steps up. Bottom left. Donnarumma the wrong way. Cool as. He’s 18!
PENALTIES: Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-1 Italy. Tonali whistles a fine spot kick into the bottom left. How Italy needed that.
PENALTIES: Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 Italy. Tabaković, whose equaliser took us all here, is up next for the hosts. One step, two steps, and a sweep into the top right. Donnarumma went the right way, but had no chance!
PENALTIES: Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-0 Italy. Esposito first for the Azzurri. He does the tippy-toes … then skies it. Advantage Bosnia and Herzegovina!
PENALTIES: Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-0 Italy. Tahirović up first. He whips a perfect penalty into the bottom left, having sent Donnarumma the wrong way.
Sergej Barbarez and Gennaro Gattuso embrace. That’s nice to see, ahead of certain heartbreak for one of them. Fireworks explode in the background, a constant rhythm as both teams prepare to meet their fate. Bosnia and Herzegovina to go first.
Bosnia and Herzegovina aren’t happy about the referee whistling before one last free kick could be launched into the Italian box. But there were only about two seconds remaining anyway. However, that’s the least of their concerns, because Dzeko landed awkwardly after that Frattesi challenge, and he’s really hurt his shoulder. He stays down for some time, before finally getting back up. But he’s holding it gingerly. An ice pack on it now. An unwelcome extra twist for the hosts.
FULL TIME, EXTRA TIME: Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 Italy
Nope! The whistle goes before the free kick can be taken. Penalties it is!
ET 30 min +1: A long ball into the Italian half. Donnarumma comes miles out of his box to kick clear. Dzeko dribbles back into Italian territory. Frattesi unceremoniously takes him out. Yellow card. Time for one last free kick, launched into the Italian mixer?
ET 30 min: Sixty seconds between Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, and penalties.
ET 29 min: … the ball’s worked back to Tahirović, on the edge of the D. He threads a shot inches wide of the right-hand post. Not sure Donnarumma was getting to that! That’s Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 30th attempt on goal. Italy have taken nine.
ET 28 min: Esposito clears the corner. But the hosts come straight back at Italy, Burnić released into acres down the left. His low cross is hooked out by Mancini. That had to happen, because Dzeko was waiting in the middle, six yards out. Then from the corner …
ET 27 min: Burnić crosses poorly from the left. Cristante’s clearance is no good, and Burnić gets another go. His low cross this time forces Mancini into the concession of a corner.
ET 25 min: Demirović is replaced by Hadžiahmetović, a defensive move by the hosts. Nobody wants to fall at the final hurdle now.
ET 24 min: Tonali zips down the left flank and is crudely flipped into the air by Katic’s sliding challenge. That’s cynical, late, and worthy of the booking Katic receives.
ET 23 min: Frattesi eventually gets back up. Then there’s some nonsense before the corner. Then after it’s finally taken, and half-cleared, Alajbegović dribbles a poor shot straight at Donnarumma, and the pressure on Italy is released. For a moment.
ET 21 min: Alajbegović batters a shot into Frattesi’s back. Then Burnic deflects the ball off the same white shirt. It goes out for a corner. Before it can be taken, Frattesi goes down to catch a breath.
ET 19 min: Bajraktarević whips a vicious cross in from the right. Dzeko, under surveillance from Mancini, can’t get to the ball at the far stick. Goal kick. The tension is almost unbearable. Goodness knows what it feels like if you support one of these sides.
ET 17 min: Dedic crosses from the right. Bajraktarević attempts a scissor kick that goes wide. Italy counter, and Esposito spins into space on the edge of the box. His low shot is deflected wide right by Muharemović. Nothing comes of the corner.
ET 16 min: Alajbegović sends a couple of Italians off to the shops for a copy of La Gazzetta dello Sport with a cheeky drop of a shoulder. The cross isn’t all that, though.
Bosnia and Herzegovina get the second half of extra time going. Penalties loom in the middle distance.
“The really, really gutting thing is; Wales could absolutely have beaten this Italy,” sighs Matt Dony. “Ah well. Always next time. Again.”
HALF TIME, EXTRA TIME: Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 Italy
Italy still fuming over the lack of a red card for Muharemović. Donnarumma spoiling for an argument, and maybe even a fight, with someone in the Bosnia and Herzegovina camp. He’s dragged away before he can make things worse for Italy.
ET 15 min +2: … and nothing comes of the resulting corner. That’s as dangerous as Italy have looked all night.
ET 15 min +1: … sends a low drive witlessly into the wall. But Italy recover the rebound. Palestra skedaddles down the right and crosses long. Esposito rises at the far stick and heads goalwards from a tight angle. But Vasilj parries at point-blank range! What a save!
ET 15 min: The free kick, then, to the right of the D. Tonali stands over it. And …
ET 14 min: Not that the Italian bench is letting it lie quite yet. Performative discussions continue.
ET 13 min: Nope. Muharemović is spared. Just a yellow, due to Burnic being right next to the incident. Italy aren’t happy, as you can imagine. But that decision is going to stand.
ET 12 min: Tonali goes long. A sweet pass down the middle. Palestra gets in between, and ahead of, both Muharemović and Burnic. Muharemović extends a leg and clips his man. A free kick … and a sending off?
