In Zenica, the Azzurri collapse after Bastoni’s red card: Kean opens the scoring, Bosnia fight back and prevail in the shootout. Italy’s crisis continues
Another nightmare night for Italy, another crushing elimination. In Zenica, it ends in the most painful way: Bosnia win on penalties after a 1-1 draw through regular time and extra time, condemning the Azzurri to a third consecutive absence from the World Cup.
A failure that once again raises serious questions about the state of Italian football, still unable to secure qualification for the game’s biggest stage.
Gennaro Gattuso’s side started brightly, showing intent and composure, and took the lead through Moise Kean, who capitalized on a defensive mistake with clinical finishing.
It looked like the beginning of a different kind of night, but the turning point came just before halftime: Alessandro Bastoni’s red card completely shifted the momentum.
From that moment on, Italy were forced to sit deep and defend for over an hour with ten men, conceding possession and territory to the hosts.
After the break, Bosnia raised the tempo, turning the match into a sustained siege.
Gianluigi Donnarumma kept Italy in the game with a series of crucial saves, while the team tried to hold their shape with discipline and sacrifice. However, the increasingly deep defensive line and lack of transition play eventually took their toll.
Despite limited counterattacking opportunities, Italy came close to doubling their lead three times, but Kean, Pio Esposito, and Bastoni all failed to deliver the decisive blow.
The equalizer arrived late in regular time through Tabakovic, who reacted quickest in a crowded box following yet another Bosnian cross. A goal that reset the match and forced extra time.
In the additional 30 minutes, both sides showed signs of fatigue.
Italy tried to threaten mainly through Pio Esposito, while Bosnia kept pushing forward without finding a winner. The deadlock remained until the final whistle, sending the match to penalties.
From the spot came the final verdict: costly misses from Esposito and Cristante proved decisive, while Bosnia were composed and clinical.
The final result marks yet another bitter disappointment for Italy, who once again miss out on the World Cup after previous eliminations against Sweden and North Macedonia.
Now comes the inevitable moment of reflection and accountability. Because three consecutive World Cup failures cannot be dismissed as coincidence, but rather as clear evidence of a structural crisis in Italian football.
L’articolo Italy Out of the World Cup: Bosnia Prove Fatal on Penalties, Third Straight Failure to Qualify proviene da Soccer Made In Italy.
