• Summary

• Bosnia and Herzegovina set up clash with Italy
• James gave Wales the lead
• 40-year-old Dzeko levelled for visitors
• Alajbegovic sealed penalty shoot-out win for Bosnia

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s veteran striker Edin Dzeko scored a late equaliser before youngster Kerim Alajbegovic sealed a 4-2 penalty shootout ​victory over Wales to reach the World Cup playoff finals on Thursday after a 1-1 draw.

Wales winger Daniel James opened ‌the scoring for the hosts in the 51st minute after racing on to a loose ball and powering a thunderous 25-metre shot past Bosnia keeper Nikola Vasilj.

Bosnia came alive after that, though, and home keeper Karl Darlow made an incredible save to keep out a close-range header by Ermedin Demirovic, but could do nothing when the ​40-year-old Dzeko glanced in an 86th-minute equaliser.

Wales dominated extra time but could not force a winner, and in the end it was ​Bosnia’s teenager Alajbegovic who held his nerve to seal the shootout with an ice-cool spot kick to send ⁠the visiting fans wild in the Cardiff City Stadium.

Bosnia can now look forward to a home clash against Italy next Tuesday in the Path ​A final to secure a place at the World Cup for the second time after their debut in 2014.

“Faith is everything. We believe in ​success, and I am happy to have this group of guys,” Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez said.

“No matter what happens on Tuesday, we have the will to make this nation happy.”

WELSH PAIN

It was a familiar heartache for Wales two years to the day that they lost a Euro 2024 playoff final on penalties against Poland, and there ​was desolation in the stands at the end.

“It’s tough to take, I thought we played really well. For them to get a late goal ​was gutting,” James said. “It wasn’t meant to be tonight, but the boys will be stronger for it.”

Leeds United winger James missed the decisive penalty against Poland ‌two years ⁠ago, but it looked as though he had gained redemption with a magical goal that was worthy of winning any game, let alone one of such importance.

Had his deflected effort not bounced down off the underside of the crossbar soon afterwards, Wales would surely have gone on to set up a home clash with Italy.

But the technically gifted Bosnians, who were 13 minutes away from qualifying automatically in their group only to draw with ​Austria, grew in belief as the ​minutes ticked down.

As Wales dropped ⁠deep, they began to create chances with Alajbegovic at the heart of his side’s threat.

He forced a fine save by Darlow, and when he whipped in a corner, it was former Manchester City striker Dzeko who showed ​his enduring class to peel off his marker and glance an unstoppable header into the net.

Dzeko was ​taken off before the ⁠start of extra time and became involved in a heated row with Wales coach Craig Bellamy as the tension mounted in extra time.

Harry Wilson, who had also hit the woodwork early in the first half, had a glorious chance to seal it for Wales, but his goalbound shot was read by ⁠defender Tarik ​Muharemovic, who managed to head it clear.

It looked good for Wales when Darlow saved ​the first spot kick from Demirovic, but Brennan Johnson blazed his effort over the crossbar, and Neco Williams saw his penalty saved by Vasilj.

It was then left to Salzburg’s Alajbegovic ​to clinch it for the visitors, who are now unbeaten against Wales in five games.

-Reuters

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France started their preparations for the World Cup convincingly as Kylian Mbappe inspired them to a 2-1 friendly ​win over Brazil despite being reduced to 10 men early in the second half on Thursday.

Captain Mbappe, showing ‌no sign of the knee problems that had troubled him in recent weeks, opened the scoring in the first half, while Hugo Ekitike found the net after Dayot Upamecano was sent off 10 minutes into the second half.

Gleison Bremer pulled one goal back for Brazil.

While the French defence, without ​the injured Jules Kounde and William Saliba, was shaky at times, their attacking firepower was too much to handle ​for Brazil, who lacked creativity in the midfield.

Mbappe now has 56 goals with France and is ⁠just one shy of Olivier Giroud’s record, which he could at least equal when Didier Deschamps’s side takes on Colombia in ​another friendly in Landover, Maryland, on Sunday.

“For us, it was not friendly. Playing Brazil is a great opportunity to see where ​we stand tactically and technically. It’s great to play matches like this. I said before the game we should not conclude it, so I’m not going to be hypocritical and treat it like a World Cup final,” said Mbappe.

“We showed creativity and remained solid. We’re moving forward. ​All I want is to be on the pitch and play — every kid dreams of playing a France-Brazil match. I know ​it’s a privilege.”

France carried an early threat on the break against a Brazil side intent on pushing forward.

Didier Deschamps’s team struck first in the ‌32nd minute ⁠through Mbappe after a sharp transition. Aurelien Tchouameni won back possession and fed Ousmane Dembele, who released Mbappe into space down the right, and the France captain accelerated clear of Leo Pereira before calmly lifting a right-footed finish over Ederson.

The goal capped a lively opening spell in which France looked dangerous whenever they found space, Mbappe’s pace stretching Brazil’s back line and forcing them on ​to the back foot.

Brazil threatened ​a quick response when Vinicius ⁠Jr. capitalised on a loose ball and slipped Gabriel Martinelli through, but the Arsenal forward’s effort from the edge of the area curled just wide of the target.

Luiz Henrique replaced Raphina at halftime and made an immediate impact, testing Mike Maignan with a powerful shot from just inside the box as Brazil looked more dangerous early in the second half.

They were quickly rewarded when Upamecano, in a last defender position, was shown a straight red card for tripping Wesley in the 55th minute.

But France did not panic and even doubled the tally in the 65th minute ⁠, as Ekitike dinked a right-footed effort past Ederson after being played through by Michael Olise at the end of a counter-attack.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side eventually pulled one back when Bremer tapped in from Luiz Henrique’s cross in the 78th minute, but France ​held firm to secure Deschamps’s first victory against Brazil in his coaching career

-Reuters

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Italy moved within one ​win of ending their 12-year World Cup absence with a 2-0 qualification playoff semi-final victory over Northern Ireland ‌on Thursday, thanks to second-half goals from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean.

The breakthrough arrived in the 56th minute when Tonali pounced on a cleared cross, letting the ball bounce once before firing into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

Kean effectively ended the contest in the 80th minute, latching onto ​a Tonali pass and ghosting past his marker before dispatching a low strike into the net.

“I felt the whole country ​was on my shoulders,” Kean told Sky Sports about his goal. “There is one more game to go, ⁠we need one more step, but we are feeling positive and need to keep going.”

The four-time world champions will on Tuesday face ​Bosnia and Herzegovina for a place at the tournament in the U.S., Canada and Mexico in June-July.

UNDER PRESSURE

Pressure was high on Gennaro Gattuso’s ​side following Italy’s omission from the last two World Cups, with the manager opting to move the match from Milan’s San Siro to the more intimate surroundings of Atalanta’s Stadium, admitting he feared the “caustic” atmosphere of a larger venue.

“There was some tension at the start of the second half, but after taking the lead, ​we really started to feel free of pressure with our mentality,” Tonali said.

After failing to score in a 1-0 aggregate playoff defeat ​to Sweden in 2017 and suffering a shock semi-final loss to North Macedonia in 2022, the hosts started at a frantic pace.

Federico Dimarco forced an ‌early save ⁠from Northern Ireland goalkeeper Pierce Charles with a low volley, before Kean saw his follow-up from the parried rebound drift wide from close range.

The hosts, spurred on by a vocal crowd, dominated the opening half but failed to break the deadlock, with Kean dragging a shot wide and Mateo Retegui firing straight at Charles from close range to leave the match goalless at the interval.

Following Tonali’s opener, Italy ​maintained the pressure, and Kean nearly ​doubled the lead with an ⁠acrobatic overhead kick from Nicolo Barella’s cross.

While that effort flew narrowly wide, the striker made no mistake moments later to finally grab his goal.

Northern Ireland mounted a frantic late charge in the closing ​stages, but the final whistle confirmed their quest to reach a first World Cup since 1986 ​had reached a disappointing ⁠end.

Gattuso admitted the contest had taken its toll on his side after the high-stakes encounter.

“It’s difficult, we knew this game was tough too, so now we must try to recharge the batteries,” he told Rai Sport.

“It was a struggle; this was not at all easy. They even ⁠surprised us ​by trying to make vertical passes; we could’ve done better,” he added, before ​praising the home support.

“We thank the fans of Bergamo once again. I heard very few jeers, and we went into the locker room at halftime to applause. I ​thank the people here, and now we go together into this final.”

-Reuters

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