Italy red card, explained: Why Alessandro Bastoni was sent off vs. Bosnia and how it put Azzurri in precarious position

Italy is running out of chances to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

The national team's final opportunity to qualify came on Tuesday, March 31, in a match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. Italy scored early and led 1-0 in the 42nd minute. Then, the landscape of the game changed.

Italy's Alessandro Bastoni was chasing down a Bosnian attacker and opted for a slide tackle. It resulted in a red card from the referee, which not only sent him off for the remainder of the match but also forced Italy to play a man down with its World Cup qualification hanging in the balance.

Here is more on why Bastoni was given a red card in Italy's final qualifier and how it shaped the contest. 

LIVE: Italy vs. Bosnia updates, scores and highlights

Why was Alessandro Bastoni red carded?

Bastoni was red-carded because of his first half slide tackle against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was trailing Amar Memic who had received a goal kick and was tearing down the middle of the pitch. Bastoni looked like he either had to risk a slide tackle or possibly allow Memic a clean shot on net. 

Bastoni went with the slide tackle. Because he was trailing Memic, the slide tackle resulted in an instant red card for Bastoni. You can see his processing what happened on the field before reluctantly getting up. While he may have saved a shot on net, his action forced Italy to play the remainder of the match with 10 men. 

This article will be updated.