Italy vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina live score: World Cup playoff result, stats as Azzurri face all-or-nothing showdown

Italy vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina live score: World Cup playoff result, stats as Azzurri face all-or-nothing showdown originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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Sweden 2018… North Macedonia 2022… Bosnia and Herzegovina 2026?

After two consecutive playoff humiliations, Italy travel to Zenica looking to reach their first World Cup since the 2014 tournament in Brazil.

Gennaro Gattuso’s side were laboured at times before getting the job done in the semifinals of this UEFA playoff path with a 2-0 victory over Northern Ireland in Bergamo.

Bosnia and Herzegovina secured a home playoff after beating Wales on penalties and also last featured at the finals in 2014. Veteran captain Edin Dzeko was on target in Cardiff, and the former Roma and Inter Milan striker would dearly love to feature on the biggest stage one last time.

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MORE:Get a full look at all the World Cup playoff brackets here

Italy vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina score

Location: Bilino Polje (Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Referee: Clement Turpin (FRA)

Starting lineups:

Bosnia and Herzegovina (4-4-2, right to left): 1. Vasilj — 7. Dedic, 4. Muharemovic, 18. Katic, 32. Kolasinac — 20. Bajraktarevic, 13, Basic, 14. Sunjic, 15. Memic — 10. Demirovic, 11. Dzeko

Italy (3-5-2, right to left): 1. Donnarumma (GK) — 23. Mancini, 21. Bastoni, 13. Calafiori — 7. Politano, 18. Barella, 5. Locatelli, 8. Tonali, 3. Dimarco — 11. Kean, 9. Retegui

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Italy vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina updates, highlights from World Cup playoff

40 mins before kickoff: Here’s the Italy team bus arriving at Bilino Polje. Home advantage could be key for Bosnia tonight.

1 hour before kickoff: And this is how the Bosnia team looks. It’ll be the hosts’ 4-4-2 against Gattuso’s 3-5-2.

1 hr 15 mins before kickoff: The teams are in. Italy are unchanged from the Northern Ireland game.

1 hr 30 mins before kickoff: It’s wild to think that the last time either of these sides featured at a World Cup was 2014. Both failed to make it past the group stage as well; Bosnia on their first ever appearance at the tournament and Italy maintaining an unbroken run of featuring at ever World Cup from 1962.

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2 hours to kickoff: It wasn’t particularly pretty, but Italy got past Northern Ireland to book this final showdown with Bosnia and Herzegovina for a place at the World Cup. Bosnia beat Wales on penalties after a late penalty from their veteran captain Edin Dzeko and have home advantage. It might not take much to set Azzurri nerves jangling after missing out on the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. It can’t happen to the four-time winner again… can it?

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Italy vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina kick off time

This UEFA World Cup playoff final match kicks off at Bilino Polje on Tuesday, March 31 at 8:45 p.m. local time in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories around the globe

Italy vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina lineups, team news

Bosnia boss Sergej Barbarez has the opportunity to stick with a settled line-up.

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Edin Dzeko, now 40, was substituted after regulation time against Wales and should be ready to go again up front alongside Ermedin Demirovic.

Ivan Basic gets the nod over Benjamin Tahirovic having replaced his fellow midfielder after the hour in Cardiff

Bosnia and Herzegovina starting lineup (4-4-2): Vasilj — Dedic, Muharemovic, Katic, Kolasinac — Bajraktare, Basic, Sunjic, Memic — Demirovic, Dzeko

Bosnia and Herzegovina subs:Hadzikic (GK), Zlomislic (GK), Celik, Tahirovic, Gigovic, Bazdar, Hadziahmetovic, Burnic, Alajbegovic, Radeljic, Tabakovic

Gennaro Gattuso could stick with the same XI that faced Northern Ireland, although towering Inter Milan youngster Pio Esposito could nudge Mateo Retegui out of the starting XI.

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Fellow striker Gianluca Scamacca is still struggling with an adductor problem

Italy starting lineup (3-5-2): Donnarumma (GK) — Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori — Politano, Barella, Locatelli, Tonali, Dimarco — Kean, Retegui

Italy subs:Carnesecchi (GK), Meret (GK), Palestra, Spinazzola, Buongiorno, Raspadori, Pisilli, Esposito, Cristante, Frattesi, Gatti, Cambiaso

Italy vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina live stream, TV channel

Here is how to watch the match in some of the world’s major regions: