Bosnians brush off Andorra threat

• Ermin Zec lays on first goal for Ermin Bičakčić
• Edin Džeko gets his seventh Group B goal to make it 2-0; Senad Lulić scores third
• Two red cards in quick succession reduce both sides to ten men on 63 minutes
• Bosnia and Herzegovina can now finish no higher than third in the section
• Next games: Bosnia and Herzegovina v Wales, Andorra v Belgium (10 October)

Ermin Bičakčić, Edin Džeko and Senad Lulić scored first half-goals as Bosnia and Herzegovina overcame Andorra to maintain their chance of a play-off finish in UEFA EURO 2016 Group B, Belgium's 1-0 win in Cyprus having ruled out automatic qualification among the top two.

Coach Mehmed Baždarević made four changes from the Bosnian side that lost 3-1 to the Red Devils last time out, Ermin Bičakčić, Ermin Zec, Toni Šunjić and Vedad Ibišević drafted into his starting lineup. The last-mentioned had the first meaningful opportunity of the game in Zenica, but his header from Miralem Pjanić's sixth-minute corner was saved by visiting goalkeeper Ferran Pol.

Džeko saw another chance go begging on 14 minutes, yet within 30 seconds it was 1-0; Pjanić's corner found Zec who diverted the ball for his namesake Bičakčić to head into the net. The result was never in doubt thereafter, captain Džeko plundering his seventh goal of the campaign on the half-hour after being played in by Ibišević.

Ermin Bičakčić scores his side's first©Fedja Krvavac

It was 3-0 at the break, Lulić being teed up by Emir Spahić to net on the stroke of half-time, but there were to be no more goals in the second period. Indeed, the most notable event was the challenge and ensuing flare-up that led to the dismissals of Muhamed Bešić and Andorra's Victor Rodríguez in quick succession.

Bičakčić hit a post later on and Mario Vrančić came on as a 79th-minute substitute to make his international debut, but the job was done.