CREMONA, ITALY – OCTOBER 14: Italy head coach Silvio Baldini reacts during the UEFA Euro U21 Qualifying match between Italy and Armenia at Stadio Giovanni Zini on October 14, 2025 in Cremona, Italy. (Photo by Marco M. Mantovani/Getty Images)
Alphadjo Cisse’s late win means Italy can still top their European Under-21 Championship qualifying group if they beat Poland by two points on Monday.
The Azzurri are second in Group E behind Poland with a 100 per cent record, having won all nine matches, scoring 26 goals and conceding just two.
Silvio Baldini’s side have managed to keep pace with Poland since a 2-1 defeat in November 2025 with eight wins and just one head-to-head loss.
Italy is aiming for first place
Only the best team will go straight to next summer’s European Under-21 Championship, so they will go head-to-head in Pescara on Monday, the final game of the group stage.
As Poland have the better overall goal difference, with the Azzurri scoring 26 goals and conceding 5, they should have a better goal difference in the head-to-head record and simply cannot match it.
That means they need to win by two clear goals on Monday to clinch first place.
If Nazionale fail to do so, they could still qualify for the tournament as one of the two runners-up with the best record, excluding results against sixth-placed teams.
It will most likely be Greece as they are also on 24 points and expect to fall behind Germany thanks to their head-to-head record.
Finland with 22 points and Spain with 24 points are also potential rivals in Group A, depending on Italy’s result.
Failing that, there is always a playoff lottery with the other eight runners-up.