Bosnia and Herzegovina bowl over Luxembourg

Bosnia and Herzegovina guaranteed themselves a UEFA EURO 2012 play-off place at the very least after a comfortable home victory against Luxembourg.

The home side raced into a four-goal lead in just 36 minutes after Edin Džeko and Miralem Pjanić scored either side of Zvjezdan Misimović's double. Haris Medunjanin then completed the scoring six minutes after the restart. The result leaves Group D tightly poised at the top with the Bosnians requiring victory against France in Paris on Tuesday to pip Les Bleus to first place.

It took Safet Sušić's side just 12 minutes to open the scoring but they might have been in front as early as the fourth minute when Jonathan Joubert denied Džeko from close range after the Manchester City FC forward had been set up by Misimović's pass. The former VfL Wolfsburg striker soon made amends, however, when he headed Mensur Mujdža's cross past Joubert.

Within three minutes the hosts doubled their advantage when Misimović, after being fouled 18 metres out, curled the resultant free-kick into the net. Luxembourg had no answer to the onslaught and, midway through the first half, conceded again as Misimović, from the penalty spot, scored his 20th international goal, after Ante Bukvić had brought down Vedad Ibišević.

Nine minutes before half-time the home side scored the best goal of the night, Senad Lulić lofting the ball to the left from where Pjanić dispatched a volley from 16 meters that caught Joubert by surprise. It was the AS Roma playmaker's second goal against the country he once represented at youth level.

The second half was just six minutes old when Pjanić and Misimović combined to tee up Medunjanin, and though the goals dried up thereafter Sušić can now contemplate an intriguing decider at Stade de France, where Bosnia and Herzegovina, who remain a point behind Laurent Blanc's side, must win to qualify automatically for the finals.