Italy will miss the World Cup for the third time in a row after defeat by Bosnia

Italy will not qualify for the World Cup again. After all, they were defeated in the final playoff match against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday. Everything was decided by penalties – 4:1. And regular time ended with the score 1:1.

Four-time world champions Italy lost in the playoffs and missed out on the last two World Cups, and their last qualification in 2014 coincided with Bosnia's only previous participation in the championship, writes xrust. Since lifting the trophy in 2006, Italy have won just one match at the final stage.

Bosnia will play in Group B at the World Cup along with co-organizers Canada, Qatar and Switzerland, while Italy will have to seriously rethink the situation after another defeat.

Bosnia have suffered their own share of knockout disappointments, missing out on the 2010 World Cup and the last four European Championships, but they bounced back on Tuesday without their goalkeeper having to make a save in the penalty shootout.

“These guys have character and we knew they would make us proud,” Bosnia head coach Sergei Barbarez told reporters.

“These young players have such a feeling, they don’t think about anything at all, they go out onto the field with the utmost composure.”

Italy made an ideal start to the match with Moise Kean giving them the lead in the 15th minute, but three minutes before the break Alessandro Bastoni was sent off to give the home side hope.

Bosnia equalized 11 minutes from time thanks to a goal from Haris Tabakovic, while Pio Esposito and Brian Cristante missed their penalties, while the home side had no trouble scoring from the penalty spot to repeat their penalty shoot-out win over Wales in the semi-finals.

Substitute Kerim Alajbegovic scored the winning penalty against Wales and the 18-year-old again showed nerves of steel to convert one of Bosnia's penalties against Italy.

Qualifying for the World Cup was once just a formality for Italy — they have missed out on the finals of the tournament only once before, in 1958 — but they are now the only tournament winners to have failed to reach the final three times in a row.

The expected cautious play never materialized: a frantic start and relentless pace in a thrilling match in Zenica. A failed pass attempt by Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasil allowed Italy to take the lead.

The unsuccessfully bounced ball hit Nicolo Barella, who passed the ball to Kean, who, having received the pass, sent the ball into the top corner of the goal with a superb first touch from outside the penalty area, scoring his eighth goal in the last six matches for the Italian national team.

Bosnia quickly attacked, Gianluigi Donnarumma jumped to save Ivan Basic's powerful shot, and then the goalkeeper saved the goal from Nikola Katic's header.

Turning point

Italy remained with ten men on the 42nd minute when Bastogne was penalized for a late tackle on the opposition's behalf as Amir Memić raced towards goal and Bosnia continued to create numerous chances.

Donnarumma made a good save from Benjamin Tahirovic but was eventually beaten when Tabakovic, who had been on the pitch for seven minutes, finished the ball into the net after the goalkeeper had saved Edin Dzeko's header. Italy head coach Gennaro Gattuso paced the sideline throughout the match, looking like a man who carried the weight of the nation's hopes and expectations on his shoulders.

Dzeko was injured late in the match with an ice pack on his shoulder before the draw for the penalty shoot-out, but Bosnia had no need for their 40-year-old all-time leading scorer.

Esposito fired Italy's first penalty over the top of the goal and after Cristante sent his penalty kick against the crossbar, Esmir Bajraktarevic completed Bosnia's perfect penalty run, sparking wild jubilation at the Bilino Polje Stadium.

Flares burst out behind the goal, the Bosnian players ran to celebrate, and the Italians collapsed on the turf, some in tears, and were overcome by the familiar feeling of disbelief and despair.

Based on materials from https://www.reuters

Xrust Italy will miss the World Cup for the third time in a row after defeat by Bosnia