Looking to secure the three points that would guarantee at least a playoff spot, the hosts looked dominant in the early exchanges, albeit without creating any danger in the final third.
It took Romania a little longer to grow into the game, but they capitalised on the first clear sight of goal with 17 minutes played. A long ball from the back released Valentin Mihaila down the left flank, and his low cross picked out Daniel Birligea, who showed outstanding composure to produce a casual dinked finish over Nikola Vasilj.
Chances remained at a premium, with the game often getting bogged down in midfield, but Vasilj had to be alert midway through the half to deny a powerful strike from Dennis Man.
As the game drifted towards half-time, the home side almost found an equaliser out of nowhere, but Benjamin Tahirovic’s long-range free kick clattered the crossbar, with Ionut Radu completely beaten.
Sergej Barbarez responded with a double substitution at the break, though, and he was rewarded with a quick leveller.
The Romanian defence appeared to lose the ball for a second as Edin Dzeko’s header was blocked, and he remained calm when letting the rebound drop before stroking it past Radu to ignite the home crowd.
Looking for a way to retake the lead, the visitors introduced Denis Dragus on 66 minutes, and his impact was immediate - though not in a positive sense, as he caught Esmir Bajraktarevic in the head with a very high boot just one minute after coming on and received a straight red card.
Ironically, it was the recipient of that bad tackle who would go on to break the 10-man visitors’ resistance and complete the turnaround, as Bajraktarevic curled a fantastic effort into the top corner with 10 minutes to go.
A man short and exhausted, the visitors were caught out by a third goal in stoppage time, as Haris Tabakovic bundled the ball home from close range after his initial header hit the bar.
The result ended Romania’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup via Group H, whilst Bosnia & Herzegovina will travel to the leaders, Austria on the final matchday with a playoff spot secured, but knowing a victory would be enough to seal automatic qualification.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Esmir Bajraktarevic (Bosnia & Herzegovina)