First half blitz helps Bosnia win six-goal Nations League thriller against Romania

[p]A UEFA sanction imposed on the Tricolours for fan behaviour in a game against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kosovo/v1DTPQwI/"]Kosovo[/a] in 2024 meant this clash was played behind closed doors.[/p][p]That did not bother the visitors, who should have taken the lead early on when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tabakovic-haris/Asecu8a3/"]Haris Tabakovic[/a] fired haplessly wide after beating the offside trap to run onto [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/basic-ivan/nwTWiiMP/"]Ivan Basic[/a]’s glorious through ball.[/p][p][b]Their next meaningful attack led to the breakthrough though, as Esmir Bajraktarevic sent a superb cross into the middle for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gigovic-armin/Yitlr4Gb/"]Armin Gigovic[/a] to nod home.[/b][/p][p][b]Another header proved the hosts’ undoing when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muharemovic-tarik/O0Ss5jSf/"]Tarik Muharemovic[/a] rose unmarked in the box to meet Basic’s corner and make it 2-0.[/b][/p][image alt="Momentum" id="9ee9c2d5-b0c5-4210-a403-0c38eb4a2a82" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="5c21b6c5-d97d-44df-8f8a-de4c57b56fa9" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][b]That finally seemed to spur [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hagi-gheorghe/4v9EM0Ct/"]Gheorghe Hagi[/a]’s men into life though, and - having just had one shot saved - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/birligea-daniel/rioZTll9/"]Daniel Birligea[/a] powerfully nodded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eissat-lisav/O02miEUm/"]Lisav Eissat[/a]’s wonderful delivery into the bottom corner. [/b][/p][p]The Dragons restored their two-goal cushion before the break, however, thanks to goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/radu-andrei/4xYjfkEG/"]Ionut Radu[/a] spilling a tame [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alajbegovic-kerim/4WqOzLUF/"]Kerim Alajbegovic[/a] effort into the path of a grateful Tabakovic, who converted his sixth international goal.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barbarez-sergej/xv3YWYid/"]Sergej Barbarez[/a]’s side, who had won just one of their last six matches, but they were well on their way to victory now and made it 4-1 shortly after half-time.[/p][p]It was another Bajraktarevic cross that did the damage, picking out the run of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mahmic-ermin/lbdiuVzP/"]Ermin Mahmic[/a], who headed home from a central position. [/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/romania/IaD8jZpU/"]Romania[/a] substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cicaldau-alexandru/06AhMzSd/"]Alexandru Cicaldau[/a] had an immediate impact as he pulled one back with a swerving long-range effort that burst through the fingers of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zlomislic-martin/fssx9NH9/"]Martin Zlomislic[/a].[/b][/p][image alt="Match stats" id="d99366e5-1a79-4055-b890-e1e03e919bc7" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="aad2033f-b694-4fb0-b110-c78f86b0859c" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p][b] [/b]That gave the hosts some momentum but the damage had been done and, bar a chance wasted by Birligea - who also had a goal ruled out for offside earlier in the move - they did little with the possession they had.[/p][p]At the other end, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/demirovic-ermedin/dIsZ5Eyb/"]Ermedin Demirovic[/a] should have done better when he struck off target from inside the area as Romania conceded four on home soil since 1977 and leaves them bottom of League B Group 4, whereas Bosnia and Herzegovina take top spot with an emphatic success.[/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bajraktarevic-esmir/GUqdXgyQ/"]Esmir Bajraktarevic[/a] ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bosnia-herzegovina/fqe7WYTr/"]Bosnia and Herzegovina[/a])[/b][/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/bosnia-herzegovina-fqe7WYTr/romania-IaD8jZpU/?mid=jFVbVftH"]Take a look at the match stats here[/a][/b].[/p]