With their senior team under scrutiny once again, Italy’s U21 squad heads to the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in Slovakia with hopes of restoring national pride—and possibly making history. The Azzurrini are looking to claim a record-breaking sixth European U21 crown, aiming to overtake Spain as the tournament’s most successful team.
Italy’s 2025 campaign begins with a Group Stage clash against Romania, a nation they have traditionally dominated. The Italians have lost just two of their last ten head-to-head encounters with the Romanians (W7, D1), conceding only eight goals during that stretch. However, recent form casts a shadow: Italy is winless in their last five matches (D4, L1), a worrying trend for a team with title ambitions.
Those defensive frailties may offer a glimmer of hope for Romania, who enter the tournament as one of the competition’s underdogs. Despite their limited history at this level—just five appearances and two consecutive group-stage exits since reaching the semi-finals in 2019—Romania comes into the tournament in confident mood. They’ve won six of eight matches in 2024 (L2), including a narrow 1-0 win over Georgia in a pre-tournament friendly.
That victory continued a familiar theme: Romania’s recent success has been built on solid defending, with four of their last six wins coming via 1-0 scorelines. Their defensive resilience could prove crucial against a more experienced Italian outfit.
Players to Watch:
Italy’s Wilfried Gnonto is set to play a starring role, having netted five goals in 13 U21 appearances—four of them coming in the first half. Romania’s Louis Munteanu is equally prolific at this level and in red-hot form after bagging 23 goals in 35 matches for CFR Cluj during the 2024/25 domestic campaign.
Hot Stat:
Each of Italy’s last five matches have seen both teams score, with the opening goal coming inside the first 30 minutes—an indicator that early drama could be in store when they meet Romania.
With expectations high for Italy and Romania eager to spring a surprise, their Euro U21 opener promises to be a fascinating clash of tradition versus ambition.
