Champions League: penalty and corner kick doom Virtus to defeat

The 2025-26 Champions League also gets underway at the San Marino Stadium, where national champions Virtus and Zrinjski meet in the first leg of the First Qualifying Round. The atmosphere is electric despite the early-evening downpour, with over 500 Bosnian supporters having travelled from the opposite side of the Adriatic.

As expected, the visitors look to seize control from the opening exchanges, but Virtus defend well against the aerial threat into their box. For Passaniti it is essentially fifteen minutes of routine work – called into action only by Pranjić’s thunderous left-footed effort. He would have had no chance, however, had Kiš’s right-footed strike from the edge not flown just over on 17 minutes. When the Neroverdi collective cannot halt the Bosnian forays, it is Passaniti who brings calm to the back line – as in the 25th minute, when he smothers a dangerous low cross. From the resulting counter-attack, the best chance falls to Virtus: Battistini picks out Zulli, who delivers an excellent cross to the far post where Buonocunto makes a scruffy contact from the heart of the box, earning only a corner. Virtus manage to steer the match onto their preferred track, keeping it at 0-0 and forcing Zrinjski to commit more men forward in search of a breakthrough; Bizzotto’s side, though, lack a touch of quality in the final ball – something Acquaviva’s team have never been short of. At the back, Virtus remain hugely effective: before the interval, they concede only a pressured attempt from Kiš, which goes straight into Passaniti’s arms. It comes as a bolt from the blue, then, when a penalty is awarded on 43 minutes by Jitari for a Rinaldi-Burey contact. VAR confirms the decision and Bilbija makes no mistake from the spot, scoring on the stroke of 45 minutes. A real shame for Bizzotto’s men not to take a draw into half-time, having been virtually flawless until the debatable penalty given right at the end of the half.

The same twenty-two players return after the restart, along with the same game plan for both sides: Zrinjski dictating play, Virtus compact and ready to break whenever the chance arises. The first substitution is enforced and comes from Sabato’s injury, with the defender forced off on 54 minutes. The Neroverdi safely negotiate two minutes a man down before Gori comes on. Shortly after the hour mark Pranjić tries to spark the second half into life with a fierce drive from the edge that Passaniti tips over the bar. Moments later, Battistini produces a monumental defensive intervention, throwing himself in the way to deny Bilbija what looked a simple second goal after he had been allowed to shoot from the edge of the six-yard box. Midway through the half Bizzotto rings the changes with a triple substitution, sending on Golinucci, Ciacci and Scappini. Before those changes, another scare for the Virtus back line, who are spared by De Lucia’s crucial interception ahead of Bilbija. The captain will make amends on 79 minutes, rising to head home from Pranjić’s corner. There are some doubts over the build-up to the corner, with Abramović appearing to have started his run from an onside position. From the delivery, Passaniti pulls off a stunning reflex save to deny Majić. VAR, of course, cannot intervene to rule on the award of a corner kick, even if the move stemmed from an initial offside, and from that set piece came the second goal. In the closing stages Bizzotto turns to Giacomoni, using his final substitution. The match thus ends in a fully deserved victory for Zrinjski, particularly for the authority with which they managed the game after the break. In the first half, all the regret belongs to Virtus – undone by a contentious penalty and, at 0-0, inches away from taking the lead through Ivan Buonocunto.

UEFA Champions League 2025-26, First Qualifying Round | Virtus-Zrinjski 0-2

VIRTUS (4-2-3-1)

Passaniti; Battistini, De Lucia (82’ Giacomoni), Rinaldi, Sabato (56’ Gori); Amati (67’ Ciacci), Montanari (67’ Golinucci); Lombardi, Buonocunto, Zulli; Benincasa (67’ Scappini)

Substitutes: De Angelis, Muggeo, Biral, Zennoni, Renzetti

Coach: Luigi Bizzotto

ZRINJSKI (4-2-3-1)

Karačić; Memija (82’ Sušak), Sušić, Barišić, Mamić (73’ Dujmović); Savić, Ivančić (82’ Surdanović); Burey (59’ Abramović), Kiš (59’ Majić), Pranjić; Bilbija

Substitutes: Šutković, Ljubić, Filipović, Mašić, Mikić, Ćavar, Ševa

Coach: Mario Ivanković

Referee: Roman Jitari (MDA)

Assistants: Vlad Lifciu (MDA), Andrei Bodean (MDA)

Fourth official: Daniel Luca (MDA)

VAR: Benoît Millot (FRA)

AVAR: Mathieu Vernice (FRA)

Scorer: 45’ pen. and 78’ Bilbija

Booked: Amati, Memija, Gori, Ivančić, Golinucci

Attendance: 864