Under-21 Group A: Spain vs Italy facts

The two most successful sides in UEFA European Under-21 Championship history meet to decide first place in Group A as Spain take on Italy at the Anton Malatinský Stadium in Trnava on Matchday 3.

The teams are already assured of progress to the quarter-finals having won both their first two fixtures. Italy have beaten both Romania and hosts Slovakia 1-0 while Cesar Tarrega's 90th-minute goal gave Spain a 3-2 Matchday 1 success against Slovakia before Mikel Jaureguizar and Roberto Fernández scored in the last five minutes to snatch a 2-1 win against Romania.

Previous European U21 Championship meetings

Matches 11
Spain wins 4
Italy wins 4
Draws 3
Spain goals 15
Italy goals 15

The teams' last meeting came on Matchday 2 of the 2021 finals, a 0-0 draw at the Stadion Ljudski vrt in Maribor.

That continued a pattern of even fixtures between the sides; each has four wins and scored 15 goals in their 11 competitive matches.

On Matchday 1 of the 2019 finals, a Federico Chiesa double (36, 64) helped hosts Italy overturn Dani Ceballos' ninth-minute opener in Bologna. A Lorenzo Pellegrini penalty eight minutes from time sealed Italy's 3-1 win, but Spain bounced back to progress to the semi-finals as Group A winners, Italy and Poland losing out in a three-way head-to-head after the teams had all finished with six points.

In the 2017 semi-finals, a Saúl Ñíguez hat-trick gave Spain a 3-1 semi-final win in Kraków against an Italy side whose sole response came from Federico Bernardeschi. Spain went on to lose 1-0 to Germany in the final.

Spain had run out 4-2 winners against Italy in the 2013 final in Jerusalem, Thiago Alcántara scoring three of their goals and Isco the other from the penalty spot; Ciro Immobile and Fabio Borini were the Italy players on target.

That was the countries' third U21 final meeting. Spain won their two-legged 1986 contest 3-0 on penalties after a 3-3 aggregate draw, while Italy came out on top ten years later, again on penalties, 4-2 in Barcelona after Francesco Totti and Raúl González had swapped goals.

Spain were 3-0 friendly winners against Italy on 1 September 2017 having also triumphed 2-1 in Rome that March.

Niccolò Pisilli scored Italy's second goal in a 3-2 defeat of Spain in the 2023 UEFA European Under-19 Championship semi-final in Malta. Francesco Pio Esposito, Michael Kayode and substitute Luca Koleosho also featured for Italy.

Jesús Rodríguez came on as Spain beat Italy 1-0 in the 2014 U19 EURO semi-finals in Belfast.

Lorenzo Pirola got Italy's third goal in a 4-1 group stage win against Spain at the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. Matteo Ruggeri also started for Italy with Rafa Marín in the Spain line-up.

Form guide

Spain

The joint most successful side in European U21 Championship history with five titles, level with Italy, Spain are in the final tournament for the 12th time overall and the eighth in nine editions, failing to qualify only in 2015 during that sequence.

La Rojita have been champions in three of the last seven tournaments – 2011, 2013 and 2019 – and have reached the semi-finals or better in each of the last four. They have not failed to progress from their group since 2009.

Two years ago, a side coached by Santi Denia – who had succeeded Luis de la Fuente in December 2022 – finished top of Group B before beating Switzerland (2-1 aet) and Ukraine (5-1) only to lose 1-0 to England in the final, captain Abel Ruiz having a penalty saved nine minutes into added time.

This time round Denia's side won nine of their ten qualifiers (D1), scoring 28 goals and conceding only five, to finish nine points above runners-up Belgium at the top of Group B.

Samu Omorodion was Spain's top scorer in qualifying with six goals.

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.

Links and trivia

Has played in Italy:
Rafa Marín (Napoli 2024–)