Silvio Baldini is right to be proud of his boys, as he said on the day before a challenging game against Montenegro, just four days after the team’s first undeserved defeat of the season in Poland. The Azzurrini have courage, character, and plenty of quality, as was evidenced tonight in Nikšić to prove those who doubted them wrong. Down 1-0 after the first real attack from Montenegro late in the first half, with the threat of dropping to third in the group and seeing qualification for the 2027 European Championship finals slip further away, in a situation that could have crushed the hopes of many, these boys showed the personality that lies under the Azzurini jersey. The spark for this Under-21 team came from the standout performers of the tournament: Pisilli, who scored before halftime; the continually improving Dagasso; and Camarda, the striker of the future, who essentially sealed the match. But the credit lies with the entire squad, from Fini, who scored the fourth goal after contributing to his teammates’ strikes, to captain Lipani, who fought hard under the Montenegrin storm for 86 minutes, totaling 536 minutes across six games. From starters to substitutes, including debutant Zeroli, everyone is part of a group that, as Baldini said after the match, knows how to use “both the foil and the sword.” The fifth victory in six games (which would have been six out of six if it hadn’t been for the last seven minutes in Szczecin) secures the Azzurrini’s second place in the group, three points behind Poland, who won earlier in North Macedonia, as the teams await the return match in October 2026. The Under-21s close their 2025 campaign here, with international action resuming at the end of March next year.

 

Baldini commented at the end of the match, “We have an incredible group of lads, and deep down I knew they would be able to channel all the frustration we felt after the defeat against Poland. They managed to process that loss in the right way, the pain in their hearts, but were eager to train and prepare for this match. They did well not to lose confidence after going 1–0 down; they believed in themselves, and I think today’s win is a fair reward for them.” He added, “We knew that tonight we needed the sabre, not the foil, because these are the kind of pitches where, if you start trying to knock the ball around, you risk making a fool of yourself. The boys read the match well and their performance made me very proud; they’re mature lads, they can play even without a coach.” Francesco Camarda, the team’s top scorer together with Pisilli (both on four goals), also praised the group after the match: “We go home happy with this win, with how it went, because we played on a tough pitch where you could barely stand up, it was incredibly slippery. Despite everything, we still tried to play our football, to bring quality for most of the match. This win makes up for the difficult defeat in Poland, which we didn’t deserve, because this group’s strength lies in its ambition.” Asked about the rivalry with Pisilli for top scorer, the Lecce forward smiled: “What rivalry? We’re teammates, we’re friends. The win came from his goal because he opened the scoring and opened up the match. I’m really happy for Nico; he’s a great player, a great guy, and he deserves that goal and everything good that comes his way.”

 

THE FIRST HALF. It had been raining in Nikšić for 24 hours, and it didn’t stop for the entire match. The pitch at the “Gradski” Stadium was extremely waterlogged. The bad weather had also put off fans: there were only around fifty determined spectators in the stands, among them the Italian Ambassador to Montenegro, Marzia Marsella, who had already visited the team the day before in Podgorica. There had been a few changes for Montenegro compared to the match played three days earlier in Armenia: from the senior national team (which had lost 2–3 to Croatia the night before in Podgorica), Djukanovic had dropped down and started, while Kostic had been on the bench; in defence, Dakic had replaced Franeta, and in midfield Carević and Savović had made way for the Miranović–Vukanić duo. As suspected the day before, Baldini had brought in Fortini and Fini to replace the suspended Palestra and Koleosho, confirming the rest of the line-up from the match played the previous Friday in Poland.

 

The first alarm bells started ringing five minutes in, when Miranović fired a right-footed rocket from 20 metres that crashed full on against the crossbar, likely tipped by the fingertips of Palmisani. From that moment on, it was Italy who dominated the match, applying pressure on Montenegro’s back line, even though the first shot on target didn’t come until the 19th minute, thanks to an overhead kick by Mané, which fired in the crowd, just wide. Four minutes later, Fini attempted to redirect a shot from Camarda in front of goal, but it was just too high. On Montenegro’s second push in Italy’s half, in the 39th minute, the goal happened: a break down the right by Mrvaljević, who surged into the box, ran into the legs of Bartesaghi and Mané, but the rebound helped him and his shot, though weak, ended up in the far corner, bounced off the base of the post and went in. A minute later, Italy responded with determination: Lipani battled in midfield and won the ball back, played a vertical pass to Fini, who entered the box and shot against Dakis’ legs; from the resulting corner, Cherubini delivered a strong cross into the middle, and Pisilli, master of finding space, slotted home the 1–1 from close range. It was his fourth goal in the tournament, all in the last four matches (two against Sweden, one against Poland, and Montenegro), and his fifth overall with the Under-21s.

 

THE SECOND HALF.
In the second half, it was again the Roma midfielder who reignited the match, just seconds after the restart: a shot that skimmed the top corner, over the bar. Then it was another midfielder — one who had risen to prominence with this Under-21 side — who put the Azzurrini ahead: Matteo Dagasso, Baldini’s discovery at Pescara, finished off a splendid team move in the 60th minute. Fini launched a quick counterattack down the right with the ball at his feet, cut inside, and laid it off to Cherubini, who played a first-time pass to the left for Dagasso’s run; he controlled it and slotted past Radanović from close range. Montenegro felt the blow, and Italy had the determination to keep pressing: the 3–1 came in the 64th minute, with Fini involved once more. He burst forward in a two-against-two situation, this time down the left flank, accompanied by Camarda, who found the pass, got past his man, and from the edge of the box struck a low right-footed shot inside the post. There was room for Zeroli, making his Under-21 debut, but hardly enough time to note his substitution for Dagasso before the 4–1 arrived (74’). After being decisive in the build-up to the two previous goals, Seydou Fini enjoyed his moment of personal glory: starting from the right corner of the box with the ball at his feet, he dribbled past a defender and beat the Montenegrin goalkeeper for the fourth time. He celebrated by the corner flag before giving way to his Genoa teammate Venturino, who had been recalled to the squad the previous Saturday. There was time for several substitutions: Baldini also gave minutes to Faticanti, Idrissi, and Cissé, before one last long, intense team hug. They will meet again in four months, and in a group with such strong values, that’s far too long a wait. “We’ll find a way to stay in touch, to send greetings and keep connected,” concluded Baldini, a coach and a man worthy only of applause. Even from Mirko Vučinić, now Montenegro’s senior national team manager, who embraced him at the end of the match, nostalgic for their days together at Lecce.

BALDINI’S FIRST SIX MATCHES

With 15 points from his first six matches, Baldini sat 5th (out of 12) in the ranking of all Under-21 managers, considering only their first six games in charge of the youth national team. Ahead of him is a group of four: Ferrara (who began with five friendlies and one match at the Toulon Tournament), Gentile, Nicolato (who recorded a 19–0 goal record), and Tardelli, all with 16 points from five wins and one draw. They were followed by Nunziata (14), Casiraghi, Di Biagio and Mangia (12), Maldini (11), Giampaglia and Vicini (8).

 

EURO 2027 QUALIFIERS / GROUP MATCHDAY 6

Tuesday 18 November 2025, “Gradski” Stadium, Nikšić (MNE), 18:30 CET
MONTENEGRO VS. ITALY 1–4 (HT 1–1)

Montenegro (4-2-3-1):
Radanović; Roganović, Melentijević, Dakić, B. Vukotić; Miranović (75’ Savović), Vukanić (59’ Carević); Mrvaljević (59’ Knežević), Juković (66’ Kostić), Djukanović; Perišić (75’ F. Perović).
Coach: N. Kljajević.
Subs: Stojanović, Franeta, N. Vuković, Radusinović.

Italy (4-3-3):
Palmisani; Fortini, Comuzzo, Mané, Bartesaghi; Dagasso (73’ Zeroli), Lipani (86’ Idrissi), Pisilli; Cherubini (86’ Faticanti), Camarda (78’ Cissé), Fini (78’ Venturino).
Coach: S. Baldini.
Subs: Motta, Vavassori, Moruzzi, Calvani.

Referee: Miguel Nogueira (POR).
Assistants: Paulo Brás, Gonçalo Nuno Soares Vaz Freire (POR).
Fourth Official: Bruno José Costa (POR).

Goalscorers: 39’ Mrvaljević (M), 41’ Pisilli (I), 60’ Dagasso (I), 64’ Camarda (I), 74’ Fini (I).

Notes: Booked: Dagasso, Bartesaghi (I). Corners: 0–4. Added time: 1’ / 3’. Attendance: 50.

 

EURO UNDER-21 / GROUP E STANDINGS

Matchday 6:
Armenia vs. Sweden 0–1 (23’ Sonko);
North Macedonia vs. Poland 0–1 (33’ Kocaba);
Montenegro vs. Italy 1–4.

Table after 6 games:
Poland 18, Italy 15, Montenegro and Sweden 9, North Macedonia 3, Armenia 0.