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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?
ET 11 min: Bajraktarević, unaffected by that nonsense, is confident enough to attempt a rabona cross from the right. Oh dear. But full marks for ambition.
ET 9 min: With nothing much happening on the pitch, Gennaro Gattuso fills the dead-air time off it, by squaring up to Bajraktarević as the Bosnia and Herzegovina player wanders over to take a throw. A lot of chest-jutting and neck-flapping. The referee comes over and tells them to grow up. Everything dies down quickly enough.
ET 8 min: Muharemović curls in from the left. Too much power. Another goal kick. Donnarumma doesn’t rush to take it.
ET 6 min: Up the other end, Bajraktarević crosses from the right. Tabaković competes for a header but can’t connect. Goal kick. Neither team risking too much in attack since the start of extra time. Fear the prevailing emotion.
ET 5 min: Tonali floats a free kick long into the mixer. Cristante wedges a cross in from the right. Vasilj is under serious pressure to claim, but does so very well.
ET 4 min: Donnarumma takes a moment over a free kick. Pantomime whistles ping around the stadium. Italy would surely be the happier of the two sides if this goes to penalty kicks.
ET 2 min: Bosnia and Herzegovina probe. Italy sit back and hold their shape. Expect more of this.
The ten men of Italy get the first half of extra time underway. They’ve sent on Spinazzola for Dimarco.
Both teams get into their huddles. Would they have taken this outcome at the half-time point? Perhaps. Maybe. But it’s Bosnia and Herzegovina who will be happier now, having been 11 minutes away from elimination. Italy’s unthinkable nightmare still looms large.
FULL TIME: Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 Italy
We’re heading to extra time! And possibly penalties!
90 min +3: Alajbegović crosses again from the left. This time high, and too long. Donnarumma takes his time over the restart. That’s surely it for regulation time.
90 min +2: Alajbegović dances down the left and crosses low. Cristante hacks clear, though not in a particularly convincing fashion.
90 min +1: Bajraktarević crosses from the right. Demirović goes up for a header, only to be taken down by Mancini, who had a good hold of him. Penalty? You’ve seen them given for much less. But neither referee nor VAR shows any interest in doing so.
90 min: There will be a minimum of three additional minutes.
89 min: It’s attack versus defence now. Italy sitting back. Bosnia and Herzegovina probing. Eventually Alajbegović crosses from the left. Donnarumma catches safely.
87 min: Dimarco digs out a fine cross from an unpromising position near the left-hand corner flag. Esposito can’t control at the far post. The hosts counter. A cross in from the left. Demirović leaps highest and aims a header for the bottom right. Donnarumma shovels it out! Extra-time heaves into view! Or is there a supernatural moment of drama to come?
85 min: Italy replace Barella with Frattesi.
83 min: Italy are flapping, and the ball’s gifted to Alajbegović, who advances towards the box but can’t get a shot away. Then Dedić, cutting in from the right, aims for the top left but gets his angles all wrong. This is bedlam!
82 min: That was a hell of a cross by Dedic. Whistled along the corridor of uncertainty. Dzeko did all but score; Tabaković did. A few celebratory flares have been set off. A lot of smoke drifting across the pitch. No pyro, no party!
80 min: The Stadion Bilino Polje isn’t quiet now! What an atmosphere! Donnarumma is booked for arguing about goodness knows what, and suddenly Italy are staring down the barrel!
GOAL! Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-1 Italy (Tabaković 79)
Dedic loops long from the right. Dzeko meets it at the far post, stooping to head down towards the bottom left. Donnarumma does exceptionally well to scoop off the line, but can only set up Tabaković, who slams home from a couple of yards!
78 min: Esposito makes good down the right and wins a corner. The set piece is half cleared, as far as Barella, 25 yards out. Barella chests down and volleys harmlessly over. Italy have had their chances in this second half.
77 min: Barella reaches the byline down the left and flipper-flicks back for Dimarco, who from the penalty spot steers a dismal shot miles wide right.
76 min: … in fact, it’s the small Italian contingent in one corner of the stadium that’s making all of the noise. Their ten men making a really good fist of this in the second half.
75 min: As you’d expect in a game of 11 v 10, Bosnia and Herzegovina are winning the completed-passes count by 344 to 250. But the score remains the same, and the hosts are getting frustrated. The nervousness all around the Stadion Bilino Polje is palpable.
73 min: Tahirović, just to the left of the D, cracks a low shot towards the bottom left. Donnarumma turns it around the post, and nothing comes of the corner. Italy counter, Barella making ground down the right and cutting back for Esposito, who lashes over.
72 min: Bosnia and Herzegovina respond with a change of their own, sending on Burnic and Tabaković for Basic and the aforementioned crock Memic.
71 min: Italy make a double change: Esposito and Cristante come on for Kean and Locatelli.
69 min: Memic nearly bursts past Dimarco down the right. He wins a throw, then signals to be subbed. Then takes the throw anyway. The move fizzles out. Goal kick. It’s all really scrappy, and that suits Italy real fine.
67 min: A ball into the Italian box from the right. Dzeko competes, but Gatti doesn’t need to feel much of a shove to collapse, and wins the free kick. Donnarumma once again tests the home fans’ patience, but eventually hoofs the resulting free kick upfield.
