Under 21 Europeans, odds: Italy-Portugal

After having reached the quarter-finals of the European Championship, not without some suffering, the Under 21 team led by Paolo Nicolato is now aiming for ambitious goals. To try to get to the final, and maybe win it, the blue coach has summoned the best young players of our football, in particular in attack he will be able to choose between Cutrone (Valencia), Raspadori (Sassuolo), Scamacca (Genoa) and Sottil (Cagliari. ). Italy, second classified in group B, is the national team with the highest number of qualifiers to the quarterfinals, and with Spain it is the one that has won the event several times (5). On Monday 31st at 21 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, he will face Portugal, first with full points in group D. While the azzurrini have only won one of the first three matches of the final phase, the Portuguese have finished with three wins out of three without conceding a goal. The winner will face Spain or Croatia on 3 June in Maribor.

PREVIOUS

—

Monday will be the fourteenth match between Italy and Portugal in the Under 21 European Championship, with a record of 7 wins for Italy, 3 for Portugal and 3 draws. The last match, in 2015, ended 0-0 in the group stage (Italians at the end third and eliminated). Portugal’s most recent victory dates back to their only previous quarter-final, in 1996: 1-0 with a goal from Porfírio in Lisbon, but then in the second leg our national team won 2-0 in Palermo with goals from Vieri and Tommasi. Against Portugal we should especially remember the Azzurri’s victory in 1994, in the final in Montpellier, decided by the first golden goal in history scored by Orlandini in extra time.

THE NUMBERS

—

Since 1998 Italy has participated in 11 finals out of 13: it failed in 1998 and 2011, and reached at least the semifinal 6 times in the last 10 appearances, winning in 2000 and 2004. Italy was champion of Europe three times in a row from 1992 to 1996, and in 1986 it was defeated by Spain. In the finals he has only won 6 of his last 14 matches (3 draws and 5 defeats). Italy’s balance sheet in the quarter-finals is 6 wins and 4 defeats: they have not lost since 1988, when they were eliminated by France (1-2 away and 2-2 at home).