Italy opened their European Under-19 Championship campaign with a disciplined 2-0 victory over Serbia in Wales. First-half penalty taker Mattia Liberali and second-half finisher Jamal Iddrissou supplied the goals as the Azzurrini made a confident start to their Group B challenge.
The competition brings together the continent’s elite young talent, with the Azzurrini aiming to build on their strong qualifying campaign.
Liberali Leads from the Front
The breakthrough arrived within the opening quarter-hour. Mattia Liberali, a product of the Milan youth system currently gaining senior experience with Catanzaro in Serie B, earned and converted a penalty after just 11 minutes. The midfielder showed composure to send the goalkeeper the wrong way from the spot, handing coach Alberto Bollini an early advantage.
Italy dominated possession for long periods and came agonisingly close to doubling their lead before the interval when Coletta rattled the crossbar with a powerful strike from open play. Serbia, featuring Carapic between the posts and Novicic pulling strings in midfield, offered sporadic threat from set-pieces but found clear chances at a premium against an organised Azzurrini backline including Nardin and Natali.
Iddrissou Settles the Contest
The result remained finely balanced until the 76th minute, when Jamal Iddrissou put the game beyond reach. The forward finished off a swift counter-attacking move, applying a calm finish after being played through by substitute Javison Idele. The introduction of Idele, alongside fellow replacements Mantini and Elimoghale, demonstrated the depth available to Bollini as the match wore on.
Serbia nearly responded instantly from a dead-ball situation in the closing stages. Vasilije Novicic’s expertly struck free-kick beat the defensive wall but crashed against the frame of the goal, denying the midfielder a spectacular strike that would have set up a tense finale. Italian goalkeeper Pessina was otherwise largely untroubled as the Azzurrini rearguard maintained concentration to preserve their clean sheet.
Group B Standing and Fixtures
Regarded among the pre-tournament favourites, Italy’s opening triumph establishes solid foundations in a competitive section where margins are fine. The victory provides crucial momentum ahead of their second group fixture against Croatia on July 2, before they conclude the phase against Ukraine on July 5.
Positive results in those remaining encounters would confirm the Azzurrini’s progression to the knockout stages of the championship, which is being contested across various venues in Wales throughout July.