Dull Show Between Italy and Spain U-21 Ends in Goalless Stalemate

Italian Football, Italy, Spain, The Azzurri, Under 21, Under 21 European Championship

Steadfast but nervous, lacking ideas, and once again saved by goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi. In their second European Championship test, Italy U-21 managed to hold a more technical Spain to a goalless draw that keeps their hopes of making it to the next stage unchanged.

The Azzurrini will need to beat Slovenia in their last game on Tuesday to advance to the Quarter Finals but will need to do so without such key players as Sandro Tonali, Gianluca Scamacca, and Niccolò Rovella – the last two were sent off tonight, bringing Italy’s red card tally to four in two games. Too much for a team with ambitions to clinch the European throne.

It was not a great game in Maribor, with the incumbent European Champions Spain in control of the operations for most of the game but almost never able to trouble Italy’s defense. The Azzurrini‘s back line performance was the best news for coach Paolo Nicolato. The same could not be said about his attacking troops, with Patrick Cutrone and Gianluca Scamacca lacking ammunition and never served appropriately from the back.

The first half offered little to report with the Azzurri struggling to construct but able to contain Spain’s onslaught. The Spanish’s ball possession peaked at 63% but there were no clear chances except for a long-range shot from Juan Miranda on 20 minutes.

Quite surprisingly, the most dangerous opportunity was for Italy. On the half hour mark, out of nowhere came Davide Frattesi’ vicious snapshot that called the Spanish goalkeeper Alvaro Fernandez to a super save to deflect the ball into the crossbar.

It took more than 15 minutes into the second half to see another shooting attempt. It came from substitute Jon Moncayola and it didn’t manage to trouble Marco Carnesecchi.

Paolo Nicolato’s only move was substituting an evanescent Patrick Cutrone with Sassuolo striker Giacomo Raspadori. The coach didn’t have many additional options as his depleted substitute list included only eight players, including two back-up goalkeepers.

The match caught fire only in its latest stages and it was not due to any scoring chance. Gianluca Scamacca collected two yellow cards in a few minutes – the second being excessively severe. In the ensuing scuffle, Oscar Mingueza picked up a direct red card and Niccolò Rovella a second yellow, also receiving his marching orders from the referee.

Then, just before the final whistle, Marco Carnesecchi saved Italy with a spectacular double intervention, first on Pipa and then from Javi Puado. The Atalanta-grown goalie was once again the man of the match for the Azzurrini, keeping his side in contention for a place in the Top 8 of Europe.

But defending is not enough and Nicolato’s boys will need to step up their game fast if they want to continue their European adventure.

 

MATCH REPORT

March 27, 2021 – U-21 European Championship Group B
SPAIN U-21-ITALY U-21 0-0

SPAIN U-21 (4-3-3): Fernandez; Mingueza, Guillamon (46′ Pipa), Cuenca, Miranda; M. Garcia, Zubimendi (80′ Beltran), Villar (56′ Moncayola); Puado, Ruiz, Cucurella (Martinez, Domínguez, Adrià Pedrosa, Pozo, Brahim Diaz, Gomez, Puig, Barrenetxea, Yeremi) Coach: De La Fuente
ITALY U-21 (3-5-2): Carnesecchi; Lovato, Del Prato, Ranieri; Bellanova, Frattesi, Rovella, Pobega, Frabotta; Scamacca, Cutrone (70′ Raspadori) (Plizzari, Cerofolini, Colombo, Pirola, Zappa, Sala, Maggiore) Coach: Nicolato

REFEREE: Osmers (Germany)
NOTES: Yellow Cards: Guillamon, Villar, Zubimendi (S), Frabotta, Pobega, Del Prato (I); Red Cards: Mingueza (S), Scamacca, Rovella (I)

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