😮‍💨 Two off the woodwork, super keeper, but Cisse sends Italy U21 wild 🇮🇹 | OneFootball

Italy U21 beat Armenia 0-1, and they did it in the most incredible way possible: just when it seemed everything was set for a 0-0 draw full of regrets, Cisse in the 95th minute handed the Azzurrini a massive win in the European Championship qualifiers.

Silvio Baldini’s side dominated for long stretches, creating chance after chance and coming up against an inspired Davtyan. Two crossbars, a missed penalty from Koleosho, and at least three crucial saves from the Armenian goalkeeper seemed to have condemned Italy to a deeply frustrating draw. Then, right at the death, came the moment that changed everything.

😱 Two crossbars, a missed penalty, and then... Cisse!

Italy started with the right attitude and immediately tried to take control of the match. In the 17th minute came the first big chance: Koleosho picked out Fini perfectly, but all alone in front of Davtyan, he somehow headed wide.

Shortly after, Armenia threatened at Palmisani’s end, with the goalkeeper making a great save in the 23rd minute from Harutyunyan’s effort. Italy, however, kept creating: in the 31st minute, Ndour rose highest from a corner and sent the ball just past the post. The teams went into halftime at 0-0, with the Azzurrini clearly looking the more dangerous side.

Baldini tried to change things right away in the second half, bringing on Cisse, Lulli and Liberali, and Cisse immediately became one of the key figures. In the 50th minute, Camarda tried an acrobatic effort, but Davtyan saved it. Six minutes later, Cisse received the ball from Pisilli on the edge of the box and curled a right-footed shot that crashed against the top corner of the frame.

The Milan player tried again shortly after with a thunderbolt from the edge of the area, but once again Davtyan came up huge to save Armenia. Then in the 70th minute came another huge chance: from a free kick, Comuzzo got his head to it, and the ball struck the crossbar yet again.

The goal seemed cursed. And when Italy won a penalty in the 77th minute, it finally looked like their moment had come. Koleosho stepped up, but Davtyan saved that too and kept Armenia alive once more.

🤩 Cisse, the goal worth its weight in gold

That brought the game into six minutes of stoppage time. Armenia held firm, Italy kept pushing, and time seemed all but up. Davtyan pulled off another miracle save from Cisse, and then, in the 95th minute, came the moment that changed the night. The Armenian goalkeeper was brilliant at first in denying Cherubini from point-blank range, but he could do nothing about Cisse’s left-footed finish, which flew into the top corner and sent the Azzurri bench into wild celebrations!

Game, set, match. Italy came away with a victory that had seemed to be slipping through their fingers and kept their European qualifying campaign on track. Against Armenia, it was crucial not to lose ground, and the Azzurrini managed it in the most dramatic way possible.

For Baldini and his players, the focus now shifts to Poland: after a night like this, Italy go into the final fixture with three hugely important points and the knowledge that their fate is in their own hands.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.