Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the second-round matches in the Euro 2025 U-21 group stage will take place on Saturday in Trnava, where Slovakia will face Italy. I’m offering a bet on the outcome of this clash with a strong value in the odds.
Match preview
Slovakia put in a solid performance in their opening match against the group favorites, Spain. Despite a narrow 2-3 defeat, Svanadze’s side showed fighting spirit and made the most of their attacking chances. Goals from Suslov and Kopasek demonstrate that this team has enough firepower to trouble even the strongest opponents.
The main trump card for Slovakia will be the home crowd support and the presence of bright young talents like Nino Marcelli, who has already made his mark in Champions League matches. However, their lack of experience at major tournament stages and a less deep squad could play against them when facing the Italians.
Italy, led by Carmine Nunziata, kicked off their Euro campaign with a confident—albeit narrow—1-0 victory over Romania. The only goal was scored by Tommaso Baldanzi, reaffirming his status as one of the "Azzurrini" leaders. While Italy may not be considered one of the outright favorites for the tournament, they boast a deep and high-quality squad.
The coach has at his disposal young talents with experience in top European leagues: Gnonto, Casadei, Fabbian, Koleosho, and others. The defensive line, anchored by Pirola and Gillardi, looks solid, and goalkeeper Desplanches inspires confidence. Italy are expected to take the initiative and will likely try to settle the match before halftime.
Probable lineups
- Slovakia U21: Lukáš Belko, Samuel Kopasek, Juraj Jakubko, Adam Obert, David Javůrček, Tomáš Rigo, Samuel Nebyla, Tomáš Suslov, Nino Marcelli, David Hollý, Lukáš Zauer
- Italy U21: Wilfried Gnonto, Luca Koleosho, Tommaso Baldanzi, Cher Ndour, Michele Prati, Giovanni Fabbian, Matteo Ruggeri, Lorenzo Pirola, Daniele Gillardi, Matteo Zanotti, Sebastiano Desplanches
Match facts and head-to-head
- Italy have won twice in five head-to-head meetings with Slovakia, suffering one defeat
- In 4 of the last 5 Slovakia matches, the "Over 2.5 goals" bet has landed
- The "Both teams to score" market has hit in 4 of the last 5 games involving Italy
Prediction
Italy objectively have the edge in both class and experience. Slovakia might cause problems thanks to their motivation and home support, but it’s unlikely they can keep up the pace for the full 90 minutes. Our pick: “Italy to win” at odds of 1.70.
