Bastoni's disastrous red card

Alessandro Bastoni's mistake left Italy playing with ten men before losing to Bosnia on penalties and officially missing out on the 2026 World Cup.

Referee Clement Turpin handled Bastoni's foul very decisively.

In the early hours of April 1st, in the 2026 World Cup play-off final, the Italian national team started the match against hosts Bosnia in a not-so-bad way. Moise Kean's opening goal in the 15th minute gave the Azzurri the advantage, although they didn't completely dominate the game.

However, the turning point came in the 42nd minute. Alessandro Bastoni fouled Memic as the opponent broke through to face the goalkeeper. The Italian defender was the last man in the line and was slow to make the tackle, forcing referee Clement Turpin to issue a direct red card.

The red card put Italy in a difficult position, forcing them to play with 10 men for the remainder of the match.

Coach Gennaro Gattuso immediately made a personnel change, substituting Mateo Retegui for Federico Gatti to strengthen the defense. From that point on, Italy was forced to change their approach, prioritizing solidity over continued pressure.

Bastoni was sent off on the day Italy lost to Bosnia.

With a man down, Italy couldn't maintain their previous tempo. Bosnia capitalized on their numerical advantage to equalize 1-1, forcing the match into a stalemate. After 120 minutes, neither team could secure a victory, forcing the game into a penalty shootout.

In the penalty shootout, Italy couldn't hold on. The Azzurri lost to Bosnia, thus missing out on the 2026 World Cup.

Bastoni's red card became the decisive moment of the match. From leading and controlling the game, Italy lost their advantage in a single misstep.

This mistake also extended Bastoni's period of instability in 2026, as he repeatedly found himself in controversial situations.

For Italy, this defeat is not just a loss, but also the end of their chance to participate in the biggest football event on the planet.

Source: https://znews.vn/the-do-tai-hai-cua-bastoni-post1639816.html