Hosts Slovakia Eliminated from U21 Euros as Italy Struggle to Secure Slim Win

The hosts of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, Slovakia, have been knocked out of the tournament following a 1-0 defeat against Italy. This result allowed Carmine Nunziata’s side to progress into the knockout stages after securing two consecutive wins.

Understanding that a loss would see them eliminated, Slovakia began the match energetically, creating the first opportunity when Adam Obert headed just wide from a free-kick taken by Tomas Suslov.

However, that initial spark quickly faded as Italy scored just seven minutes into the game. The Slovakian defence appeared to freeze when Wilfried Gnonto was brought down, allowing Cesare Casadei to react quickly to the loose ball and slot a superb finish into the far corner, putting Italy ahead.

Jaroslav Kentos’ team responded well to the early setback, but Italian goalkeeper Sebastiano Desplanches went into the half-time break without having to deal with a single shot on target.

After the interval, the trend continued with Italy content to maintain their lead. Nevertheless, Slovakia nearly found an equaliser just before the hour mark, when Mario Sauer delivered a brilliant cross from the left to his brother Leo Sauer.

It looked like a terrific chance initially, yet the NAC Breda midfielder was fully stretched and could not direct his header on target.

Italy nearly made it 2-0 shortly after the hour mark when a corner was partially cleared, falling to Lorenzo Pirola inside the six-yard box, but he squandered the chance, sending the ball high over the bar under pressure.

With their tournament hopes hanging by a thread, Slovakia struggled to find their footing in the final minutes as Italy displayed their quality in managing the game effectively.

In the end, Slovakia nearly found an equaliser when a deflected Italian header from a set piece almost saw the ball go into their own net, but Desplanches made a brilliant diving save to secure the victory.

This defeat means Slovakia is out of the competition with one match left to play—a dead rubber against fellow winless team Romania. They will be keen to avoid finishing at the bottom of their group.

On the other hand, Italy will be aiming for the top spot as they prepare to face Spain, who also boast a perfect record thus far.