Heart, pride and a touch of anger. The U21s were knocked out of the EUROs in the quarter-finals after an epic battle with Germany, ending 3-2 after extra time. A little bit of everything happened at the DAC Arena in Dunajska Streda: the Azzurrini found the open in the 58th minute through Burnley winger Luca Koleosho, before the Germans grabbed an equaliser through Stuttgart forward Nick Woltemade in the 68th minute. Germany then got in front through Mainz striker Nelson Weiper in the 87th minute. A goal down, the Azzurrini were then reduced to nine men, both because of two yellows (Wilfried Gnonto in the 80th minute and Mattia Zanotti ten minutes later). Nonetheless, Italy levelled the match through substitute Giuseppe Ambrosino, who scored a fabulous free-kick six minutes  into stoppage time to send the game to extra time. However, Freiburg midfielder Merlin Röhl found a winner for the Germans in the 117th minute.

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The Azzurrini left with their heads held high, applauded by the 6,503 in attendance. Amongst the spectators were National Team Head Coach Gennaro Gattuso, National Team Delegation Head Gianluigi Buffon and FIGC General Secretary Marco Brunelli.

Carmine Nunziata had this to say: “I would like to thank the boys for the show they put on for 120 minutes, playing football when we were one and even two men down. I will never stop thanking them for everything that they have given me in this match and in these two years. It is a very bitter result, because we would have deserved to get into the semis.”

THE MATCH. Nunziata opted for the 3-4-2-1 that he used in the 1-1 draw with Spain in Trnava just five days ago, but with different players: the only two players that kept their place were Ghilardi and Coppola in defence, with nine new players coming in. Germany used the 4-3-3, completely changing their line-up: eleven changes after their 2-1 win over England on Wednesday in Nitra.

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The Germans made a strong start and were immediately dangerous in the third minute: Tresoldi took matters into his own hands, driving into the box and shooting with his right foot, but Ghilardi bravely blocked with a crucial sliding tackle. Italy responded with Koleosho, who looked for an opening from 20 metres out: his low shot was accurate but not powerful enough to trouble Atubolu. In the 13th minute, Woltemade came close: he beat Ghilardi and, from a tight angle, grazed the post with a venomous right-footed shot. The Azzurri were struggling but looking to counter: in the 31st minute, Gnonto attempted an acrobatic shot after the German goalkeeper came rushing out his goal, but his bicycle kick went wide of the net. A few moments later, Brown tried from long range, without finding the target. German pressure built, and in the 36th minute, it took a super Desplanches save to keep his clean sheet intact: the Italian goalkeeper stretched out and parried Nebel's curling left-footed shot, set up by Gruda with a precise through ball. In the 41st minute, Nebel himself took a free kick from the edge of the box but his curling right-footed shot soared high over the bar. As the half came to a close, Italy had an effort through Prati: his right-footed shot from the edge of the box took a big deflection, but the ball went out for a corner. An intense, open first half ended 0-0.

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After the break, the Azzurrini started strong and came close to taking the lead through Gnonto, who lost out in a one-on-one with Atubolu, before Koleosho, in the 58th minute, made the Italian bench erupt with joy: the number 17 cut in from the left and, from the edge of the box, unleashed a powerful and precise right-footed shot that nestled in the corner. 1-0 and the Burnley winger’s first goal for the U21s. The Germans almost immediately responded: at first Desplanches denied Röhl’s header, but from a corner on the opposite side, he couldn’t stop Woltemade’s header that levelled it all up in the 68th minute. On the 80-minute mark, the match completely changed: Gnonto received a second yellow for a foul on Rosenfelder, leaving Italy down to ten men. Under pressure, the Azzurrini conceded in the 87th minute as Weiper struck for Germany. He was set up by Woltemade’s header and guided the ball into the top corner on the volley, in behind the Azzurri backline. Then, in the 90th minute, things got even harder with the sending off of Zanotti for two back-to-back cases of dissent. Nunziata’s boys were on the ropes but, after Weiper had missed a glorious chance, they found an unbelievable equaliser. A free kick was awarded about 20 metres out and up stepped Ambrosino – he’d entered the fray just a few minutes before in place of Ruggeri – who curled it perfectly into the top right corner in the sixth minute of added time. Into extra time we went.

Added time started with Germany dictating play and, after eight minutes, Brown tried his luck from the edge of the box, but Desplanches was equal to it. A few minutes passed and the Germans tried again, with Reitz trying with a right-footed effort from range, but once again our number 1 pushed it away. In the second half of extra time, the pressure built and, in the 12th minute, Italy’s resistance was broken: Brown set up Röhl on the left and the latter drove home, beating the unsighted Desplanches at his near post, making it 3-2 to the Germans. Despite all their efforts, the Azzurrini were knocked out in the quarter-finals, but with their heads held high.

Germany 3-2 Italy AET

Germany (4-3-3): Atubolu; Collins (100' Baum), Rosenfelder (106' Oermann), Arrey-Mbi, Brown; Reitz, Martel © (114' Wanner), Nebel (64' Röhl); Gruda (63' Knauff), Tresoldi (63' Weiper), Woltemade. Substitutes.: Ernst (P), Noll (P), Thielmann, Ullrich, Siebert, Jander. Head Coach: Antonio Di Salvo.

Italy (3-4-2-1): Desplanches; Ghilardi, Coppola, Pirola © (102' Turicchia); Zanotti, Prati (91' Kayode), Ndour (88' Pisilli), Ruggeri (88' Ambrosino); Fabbian (102' Fazzini), Koleosho (70' Casadei); Gnonto. Substitutes: Zacchi (P), Sassi (P), Baldanzi, Doumbia, Guarino, Bianco. Head Coach: Carmine Nunziata.

Referee: Manfredas Lukjančukas (LTU). Assistants: Mangirdas Mirauskas (LTU) and Aleksandras Stepanovas (LTU). Fourth official: Elchin Masiyev (AZE). VAR: Michael Salisbury (ENG). AVAR: Cesar Soto Grado (ESP).

Goalscorers: 58' Koleosho (ITA), 68' Woltemade (GER), 87' Weiper (GER), 90+6' Ambrosino (ITA), 117' Röhl (GER).

Notes:  Pirola (ITA) 16', Koleosho (ITA) 28', Gnonto (ITA) 63', Gnonto (ITA) 80', Zanotti (ITA) 90', Brown (GER) 90+3', Kayode (ITA) 120' and Casadei (ITA) 120+1' booked. Espulsi Gnonto (ITA) 81’ and Zanotti (ITA) 90' sent off (both for a second bookable offence). Stoppage time: 1', 4'; 1', 3'.