Italy u21s and eleven other teams have qualified for the 2023 UEFA u-21 European Championship in Georgiaand Romania thus leaving four places up for grabs via the playoffs. Eight teams are in the race for the remaining four slots.

Hosts Romania and Georgia qualified automatically for the tournament and they would be joined at the tournamentby the group winners from the qualifiers including the Italy u21s. The Italy u21ssecured their place at the tournament in Georgia and Romania by winning Group F of the qualifiers ahead of the Republic of Ireland and Sweden. The likes of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Luxembourg and Montenegro were also in the group. Italy won the group with 24 points from ten games, while the Irish team finished second with 19 points from ten games. Sweden recorded 18 points from ten games to finish in third, while Bosnia and Herzegovina finished fourth with 11 points from ten games.Just like Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro finished with 11 points from ten games but with an inferior goal difference to end the group in fifth. Luxembourg were last on the final group standings with a solitary point from ten games. Continue reading →

Italy u21s are closing in on a place at the next UEFA European u-21 Championship, also known as Euro 2023, in Georgia and Romania after the 1-0 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in their last qualifier in Group F. Genoa midfielder NicoloRovella was the hero for the Italy u21s after he scored the only goal of the match to give his team three crucial points in the race to qualify for the Euro 2023 tournament in Romania and Georgia. Rovella is presently on loan at Genoa from fellow Italian Serie A outfit Juventus.

The slender win over the Bosnians, Italy u21s are now three points clear of Sweden at the top of Group F. Italy and Sweden came into the last round of games in the group with the same points though the Italians had played a game less than the Swedes. While Italy secured the three points at stake with the home win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden were beaten 2-0 at home by the Republic of Ireland. The defeat to Sweden was a significant one as it gave Italy a three-point lead over them in addition to a one-game advantage. Continue reading →

The Italy u21s have taken top spot in Group F after a record of four points from two qualifying games during the March international break ahead of the 2023 European u-21 Championship in Romania and Georgia. The Italian u21s started the March international break in second place in Group F and behind leaders Sweden, but four points from two matches ensured that they ended last month’s international break at the top of the group.

In the first of their two games last month, Italy u21s played out a 1-1 draw at the home of Montenegro u21s. The Italians had to come from behind to secure a point. Marko Rakonjac gave Montenegro the lead on 37 minutes before Samuele Ricci scored the equaliser two minutes later to ensure that the two teams went into the break with a goal apiece. The absence of a goal in the second half meant that the two teams took a point each from the game. The point gained from the match was not enough to send the Italy u21s above their Swedish counterparts at the top of Group F. Continue reading →

Italy u21s are facing two crucial games between now and the rest of this month in the quest to usurp Sweden u21s at the top of the Group F table with the knowledge that winning the group will guarantee a place at the UEFA European u-21 Championship in Georgia and Romania next year.

The Italy u21s will face Montenegro away from home in the first of those two games before taking on Bosnia and Herzegovina at home in the second game. The Montenegro game will take place on Friday, March 25, while the Bosnia game is scheduled for next week Tuesday. Continue reading →

The Italy u21s might need to see off the threat of Sweden u21s if they want to seal a place at the 2023 edition of the UEFA u-21 European Championship in Romania and Georgia automatically without having to go through the playoffs.

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There are nine groups in the qualifiers for the Euro 2023 tournament and the group winners will advance to the tournament automatically alongside the team with the best result from the second-placed teams meaning that ten teams will advance to Romania/Georgia 2023. They would be joined by the two host nations and four teams from the playoffs. The remaining eight second-placed teams would go into playoffs with four teams emerging after an home-and-away format.
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