At a packed Strawberry Arena in Stockholm, the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team was defeated by Sweden 3–2 this evening, in the fifth round of the Nations League.
Sergej Barbarez’s squad traveled to Solna with great optimism, but the very start of the match signaled that the encounter would take a different turn.
The hosts took the lead in the 5th minute; Anthony Elanga delivered a cross, and Svensson found the back of the net, leaving Zlomislić helpless. Just six minutes later, the hosts scored again. Stjepan Radeljić conceded a penalty, which was confidently converted by Arsenal forward Viktor Gyökeres. The lead could have been even more commanding midway through the first half, but a goal by Alexander Isak was disallowed for offside following a VAR review.
Just when it seemed the teams would head into the break with the score at 2–0, the hosts were awarded another penalty. Kolašinac committed a foul inside the penalty area, and once again, the clinical Viktor Gyökeres stepped up to convert.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s best chance came in the seventh minute, when a shot by Tabaković was brilliantly saved by the Swedish goalkeeper, Johansson; Alajbegović and Gigović also threatened with attempts from distance.
The action-packed first half ended with a commanding 3–0 lead for Sweden.
The second half, however, presented a completely different picture on the pitch. Shortly after the restart, our team managed to narrow the deficit. Armin Gigović capitalized on a fine cross from substitute Mahmić to score, making it 3–1. This goal gave the “Dragons” a boost, and they soon threatened again through Demirović and Alajbegović. In the 62nd minute, Sead Kolašinac brought the match back into the balance by scoring his first-ever goal for the national team.
Our national team even had a chance to equalize—with Memić coming closest in the final moments—but the home side’s goalkeeper rose to the occasion. Ultimately, the “Dragons” suffered a defeat, leaving them in second place in the standings with eight points. Sweden has secured the top spot with 13 points.
Sergej Barbarez’s squad will conclude this year’s Nations League campaign on Tuesday with a match against Romania at the Bilino Polje stadium in Zenica, which will be broadcast live on BHRT, BHRT writes.
