Under-21 Group A: Italy vs Romania facts

The second Group A game at the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship pits five-time winners Italy against Romania at the Anton Malatinský Stadium in Trnava.

While the Azzurrini have featured in 12 of the last 13 final tournaments, they have not lifted the trophy since 2004 – their fifth triumph in seven editions – and kick off their latest campaign against a Romania team making their fourth successive appearance.

Hosts Slovakia and five-time winners Spain are also in Group A.

Previous European U21 Championship meetings

Matches 4
Italy wins 3
Romania wins 0
Draws 1
Italy goals 5
Romania goals 1

This is the teams' first competitive fixture since March 2001, when an Andrea Pirlo goal gave Italy a 1-0 victory in Bucharest in qualifying for the 2002 finals. It had finished 1-1 in Novara, Enzo Maresca's equaliser earning Marco Tardelli's Italy a point.

The Azzurrini had won 2-0 at home and 1-0 away in the 1984 qualifying competition, Gianluca Vialli a half-time substitute in the second game.

Italy were victorious in the sides' last meeting, prevailing 4-2 in a Frosinone friendly in November 2021 with Simone Canestrelli – whose own goal had given the visitors the lead – scoring a hat-trick.

Romania had won the previous game between the countries, 2-1 in a home friendly in August 2014.

Italy played their first-ever U21 game against Romania on 16 April 1969, winning 1-0.

Tommaso Baldanzi and Cristian Volpato got the goals as Italy beat Romania 2-1 in the group stage of the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.

Sebastiano Esposito and Franco Tongya both scored in Italy's 3-0 defeat of Romania in the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship elite round.

Form guide

Italy

The joint most successful side in European U21 Championship history with five titles, a record they share with Spain, Italy are in the final tournament for the 15th time. They have qualified for all but one of the 14 editions since 2000, missing out only in 2011.

The Azzurrini are the only side to win three successive titles, between 1992 and 1996, and lifted the trophy five times in seven editions between 1992 and 2004 – although they have reached only one final since, losing to Spain in 2013.

In 2023 a team coached by Paolo Nicolato finished third in Group D behind France and Switzerland, beating the Swiss 3-2 but losing to both France (1-2) and Norway (0-1).

With Carmine Nunziata having succeeded Nicolato as coach, the Azzurrini conceded only four goals in finishing top of Group A unbeaten (W6 D4) to book their place at these finals.

Pio Esposito was Italy's top scorer in qualifying on six goals.

Romania

Having not qualified for the U21 tournament between hosting the 1998 finals and 2019, Romania are making their fourth successive appearance.

The 2023 co-hosts' best result came in 2019, when they finished top of Group C before conceding two late goals to lose 4-2 to Germany in the semi-finals.

In 2023 a team coached by Emil Săndoi finished bottom of Group B behind Spain, Ukraine and Croatia having failed to win a game (D1 L2) or score a goal (A4).

With Daniel Pancu having taken over as head coach, Romania finishing top of Group E to qualify for these finals, winning seven of their ten matches (D1 L2).

Louis Munteanu was Romania's top scorer in qualifying with five goals.

Links and trivia

Romania coach Pancu scored three goals in 34 games for Italian club Cesena in 1999/2000.

Have played in Italy:
Răzvan Sava (Juventus 2018–20, Pescara 2019/20 loan, Lecce 2020 loan, Torino 2020–22, Udinese 2024–)
Vlad Răfăilă (Lecce 2024–)
Cătălin Vulturar (Lecce 2020–24)
Rareș Ilie (Catanzaro 2025 loan)
Matteo Duțu (Lazio 2011–24, Milan 2024–)
Vladislav Blănuță (Pescara 2020–22)

Munteanu played in the Fiorentina academy between 2020 and 2021 but never appeared for the first team. He was a team-mate of Italy's Daniele Ghilardi.