U21 EURO | Slovakia 0-1 Italy: Casadei guarantees quarter-final spot | OneFootball

Cesare Casadei’s early goal proved enough for Italy to beat Slovakia 1-0 and qualify for the European Under-21 Championship quarter-final.

This means the last game of the group will be a straight head-to-head with Spain to take top spot, as both won their opening two matches.

The Azzurrini had won the first game, beating Romania 1-0 with a Tommaso Baldanzi goal and Sebastiano Desplanches saving a penalty. Casadei and Diego Coppola stepped into the starting XI, having been initially rested after senior duty earlier this week.

It was Torino midfielder Casadei who opened the scoring early on, winning it back in midfield, then getting the return pass from Willy Gnonto to beat the on-rushing goalkeeper from a tricky angle.

FERRARA, ITALY – MARCH 26: Cesare Casadei of Italy U21 during the UEFA Under21 EURO Qualifier match between Italy U21 and Turkey U21 at Stadio Paolo Mazza on March 26, 2024 in Ferrara, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Baldanzi’s free kick whistled off target and Slovakia came close when Leo Sauer couldn’t quite get his head to a dangerous cross from his brother, Mario.

Roma midfielder Baldanzi limped off with a knee issue after a tackle from behind, but it should’ve been 2-0 on 65 minutes when a corner fell kindly for Lorenzo Pirola, who blasted over under pressure.

SALON-DE-PROVENCE, FRANCE – JUNE 12: Carmine Nunziata, head coach of Italy U21, reacts during the 50th Tournoi Maurice Revello match between Italy U21 and Indonesia U20 at Stade Marcel Roustan on June 12, 2024 in Salon-de-Provence, France. (Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images)

Desplanches struggled to punch away a taut Rigo free kick, with Leo Sauer firing the rebound off target, then at the 89th minute make a stunning one-handed reaction save on a deflected Tomas Rigo free kick.

Adrian Kapralik burst down the right to be denied by a desperate Coppola sliding tackle in stoppages.

Slovakia 0-1 Italy

Casadei 7 (I)

Slovakia U21: Belko; Kopasek, Jakubko, Obert, Javorcek; Nebyla, Rigo, M Sauer (Gajdos 66); Marcelli (Kapralik 57), Suslov, L Sauer (Holly 82)

Italy U21: Desplanches; Zanotti, Pirola, Coppola, Ruggeri; Casadei (Koleosho 63), Prati (Ghilardi 82), Ndour; Fabbian (Kayode 82), Baldanzi (Pisilli 63), Gnonto (Ambrosino 58)

Ref: Minakovic (SRB)