BORZEN, Italy – October 17: Italy’s Tomaso Valdangi celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the UEFA U21 Euro qualifying match between Italy and Norway at the Stadio Dolso held in Borsen, Italy on October 17, 2023. (Photo: Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)
Italy won Romania 1-0 in the Under-21 European Championships to save Tommaso Baldanzi’s goal and Sebastiano Desplanches’ penalty.
They were co-heads of Group A with Spain and needed a downtime target to beat host Slovakia 3-2.
They rested when Cesare Casadei and Diego Coppola arrived late from senior force duties. Roma’s Tommaso Baldanzi, Burnley’s Luca Koleosho and Leeds United Striker Willy Gnonto formed the small but quick front 3. Romania had five players at Italian clubs, including Udinese goalkeeper Razvan Saba, Lexe Striker, Lairs Bernete and Milan Footro defender Matteo Dugu.
Koleosho’s Snapshot tested the goalkeeper from afar, with Constantin Grameni taking the lead from 12 yards at the Baldanzi stop and a ferocious left-footed finish with Matteo Ruggeri’s pullback. It came at the end of a long passing movement.
Palermo goalkeeper Sebasciano des Pransch’s first test was wearing gloves on a long-range Umit Akdag rocket, but Koreosho was unlucky to not make 2-0 in 43 minutes when his low drive stood upright from nine yards.
Instead, a penalty was awarded following the VAR review as Cher ndour made a mistake in clearance and instead kicked Christian Ignath behind the ankle. Former Fiorentina Youth Academy player Louis Munteanu stepped up but was denied by the excellent Despranche.
Iannis Stoika gathered a cross from the left and turned from six yards, but was flagged offside to save Italy, and Lorenzo Pirola’s free header was wide inches wide from the corner.
Bardange thought he had made it 2-0 from the edge of the area with a daisy cutter, but Sabah did enough to push it inside the upright and responded quickly to stop him from crossing the rebound.
Romania had a great chance to be equal in a halt when Despransch was caught up in the land of man, but Zoran Mitrov’s lob had surpassed the empty net.
Italy 1-0 Romania
Baldanzi 26(i)
Italy U21: desplanches; Zanotti (Kayode 86), Ghilardi, Pirola, Ruggeri; Fabian, Prati, ndour; Baldanzi (Pisilli 86), Koleosho (Ambrosino 63); Gnonto (Casadei 63)
Romanian U21: Sabah; Strata (Sirbu 61), Ignat (Perianu 46), M Ilie, Borza; Corbu (Popescu 46), Akdag, Grameni (Mitrov 88); Stoica (Burnete 61), Munteanu, r ilie
ref:fotias(gre)
Penalty saved: Munteanu45+3(r)
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