Preview: Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Italy - prediction, team news, lineups

Both aiming to end 12 years of hurt, Italy will vie with Bosnia-Herzegovina for a place at this summer's World Cup, as the sides meet on Tuesday for a decisive playoff final.

Set to convene at Stadion Bilino Polje in Zenica, neither has reached FIFA's showpiece since 2014, so a night full of drama and tension awaits.

Match preview

Italy have long been haunted by the ghosts of successive World Cup failures, with pressure to qualify this time reaching almost intolerable levels.

The Azzurri may be four-time world champions, but despite winning the delayed Euros in 2021 they last trod the global stage some seven years earlier.

This is their third straight World Cup qualifying campaign to end with a place in the playoffs: following painful defeats to Sweden and then North Macedonia, they at least survived Thursday's semi-final.

After struggling throughout a tense first half in Bergamo, they ultimately beat Northern Ireland 2-0 thanks to second-half strikes from Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean.

Despite winning every other game in Group I, Italy's initial qualifying campaign was marred by two three-goal defeats to Norway, suggesting they remain vulnerable at the back.

More positively, head coach Gennaro Gattuso has got his team scoring, with an average of over two goals per game since he took the reins from Luciano Spalletti last September.

A World Cup winner two decades ago, Gattuso must now lead La Nazionale to Bosnia in search of a cathartic playoff victory - but the price for failure is almost unthinkable.

Set for their seventh meeting with Italy, Bosnia-Herzegovina only have one win on the board so far: a shock 2-1 success in the nations' very first contest - a 1996 friendly fixture in Sarajevo.

Much has changed since then, but both are now chasing their first World Cup finals ticket since 2014, and just one more win is required.

After evergreen skipper Edin Dzeko hauled them level in Thursday's playoff semi-final, Bosnia beat Wales on penalties, holding their nerve to edge a very tight tussle in Cardiff.

So, another victory would clinch the final spot in Group B at this summer's World Cup, joining co-hosts Canada, plus Qatar and Switzerland.

While Italy were always bound for the playoffs after losing heavily to Norway in their opener, the Dragons agonisingly missed out on automatic qualification.

Conceding a late goal to draw with Group H winners Austria cost them dearly in November, but they now get another attempt to reach just a second major finals since gaining independence.

Freezing weather and a tight, partisan stadium should play into their favour in Zenica, even if Bosnia lie 58 places below the Azzurri in FIFA's latest world rankings.

Bosnia-Herzegovina World Cup Qualifying - Europe form:

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Bosnia-Herzegovina form (all competitions):

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Italy World Cup Qualifying - Europe form:

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Team News

Gattuso is expected to keep faith with the Italy XI that started against Northern Ireland, though Mateo Retegui seemed off the pace and could make way for 20-year-old Inter Milan striker Pio Esposito.

The latter has scored three times across his last five World Cup qualifiers, and he more recently netted both of Inter's last two league goals.

While Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Liverpool's Federico Chiesa are absent this month, Alessandro Bastoni, Gianluca Mancini and Riccardo Calafiori have all overcome minor injuries to make themselves available.

However, Gianluca Scamacca is still struggling with an adductor issue, meaning Retegui, Kean and Esposito must vie for two places up front.

Like Gattuso, Bosnia boss Sergej Barbarez will field a familiar lineup - particularly with a thin squad to choose from - but teenage talent Kerim Alajbegovic could force his way in.

Now aged 40, Dzeko - who previously enjoyed profitable spells at Inter and Roma - is his nation's all-time top scorer (73), including six goals in this qualifying campaign so far.

The veteran striker should partner Ermedin Demirovic in the final third, while Serie A centre-backs Tarik Muharmovic and Sead Kolasinac are well accustomed to stopping Italian attackers.

Sampdoria's Dennis Hadzikadunic is the hosts' most notable absentee, while Sturm Graz trio Emir Karic, Arjan Malic and Jusuf Gazibegovic did not make the cut.

Bosnia-Herzegovina possible starting lineup:

Vasilj; Dedic, Muharemovic, Katic, Kolasinac; Memic, Tahirovic, Sunjic, Alajbegovic; Demirovic, Dzeko

Italy possible starting lineup:

Donnarumma; Mancini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Politano, Barella, Locatelli, Tonali, Dimarco; Kean, Esposito

We say: Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-2 Italy (after extra time)

So much is at stake, with the weight of a nation bearing down on both teams. As a result, it might take 120 anxious minutes to separate them in a tooth-and-nail contest.

Neither side has a positive history in playoffs, but Italy have been galvanised by Gattuso and should just get over the line this time.

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