Switzerland produced a commanding second-half performance to defeat Bosnia & Herzegovina 4-1 in an entertaining encounter, with Johan Manzambi scoring twice and captain Granit Xhaka converting a late penalty to cap an emphatic victory.
The Swiss controlled proceedings from the opening whistle, dictating the tempo and creating the better chances throughout an exciting first half. Despite their dominance, Switzerland were unable to find a breakthrough before the interval, coming close on two occasions. Bosnia & Herzegovina stood firm to keep the scores level heading into the break.
The contest became more physical after the restart as Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Amar Dedić and veteran striker Edin Džeko were both shown yellow cards in the 59th and 61st minutes respectively for fouls. Switzerland defender Nico Elvedi also entered the referee’s book in the 65th minute after a late challenge.
Switzerland’s persistence finally paid off in the 74th minute when Johan Manzambi broke the deadlock with a composed finish to hand his side a deserved 1-0 lead.
The match swung further in Switzerland’s favour in the 80th minute when Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Tarik Muharemović was shown a straight red card for a last-man foul, reducing the visitors to ten men.
The numerical advantage quickly told as the Swiss continued to pile pressure on the Bosnian defence. Breel Embolo turned provider in the 84th minute, setting up Rubén Vargas, who calmly finished to double Switzerland’s advantage.
With Bosnia struggling to contain the relentless Swiss attacks, the hosts struck again in the 90th minute. This time, Vargas returned the favour by assisting Manzambi, who completed his brace with a clinical finish to make it 3-0.
Bosnia & Herzegovina managed to pull one back deep into stoppage time when Ermin Mahmić found the net in the 90+3rd minute, briefly giving the visitors something to celebrate.
However, there was still time for one final twist. Switzerland were awarded a penalty in the 90+7th minute, and captain Granit Xhaka confidently dispatched the spot-kick to restore his side’s three-goal cushion and seal a comprehensive 4-1 victory.
The result reflected Switzerland’s dominance from start to finish as they combined attacking quality, relentless pressure and discipline to overwhelm Bosnia & Herzegovina and close out an impressive performance.
