Qualification secured in Pescara

Italy Under-21 entered Monday's final qualifying match in Pescara needing a victory by at least two goals to overtake Poland at the top of Group E on goal difference. Poland had previously won all nine of their qualifying fixtures, including a 2-1 home win over Italy in Szczecin in November, conceding only two goals across the campaign. The Azzurrini matched the required two-goal threshold within the opening 27 minutes at the Stadio Adriatico. The 6-2 outcome gave Italy automatic qualification for the 2027 tournament, scheduled to take place in Serbia and Albania. Poland must now await results from other qualifying groups on Tuesday to determine whether they advance directly as best runners-up or enter the play-offs.

“These are special, extraordinary boys and they deserve this satisfaction.”

Eight-goal thriller at Stadio Adriatico

Luca Koleosho opened the scoring in the 16th minute, converting a rebound after Poland goalkeeper Marcel Łubik made two initial saves. Cher Ndour doubled the advantage in the 27th minute, heading home following an attacking run by Mattia Liberali. Ndour scored his second goal in the 54th minute by lobbing Łubik from approximately 70 metres after the goalkeeper moved out of his area. Luca Lipani added a fourth goal for Italy in the 59th minute before Poland replied in the 65th minute through Daniel Mikołajewski. Seydou Fini restored Italy's four-goal cushion less than a minute later, while Jakub Żewłakow struck from distance for Poland in the 85th minute, followed immediately by Luigi Cherubini's 86th-minute goal to seal the win.

Reactions from the managers

Italy manager Silvio Baldini praised his squad's commitment over the two-week international window after showing visible emotion on the bench. The 68-year-old coach had guided the team through qualifying following personal bereavement in July, when his daughter Valentina passed away at age 38. Poland manager Jerzy Brzęczek accepted responsibility for the defeat, stating that Italy had performed at a higher level throughout the match. Brzęczek explained that his coaching staff had prepared with a specific lineup over ten days of training before choosing to start defender Wojciech Mońka.

“We must say clearly that the Italians were definitely better than us. There is no excuse here.”

Decisive group permutations

Both teams concluded the group stage level on 27 points at the summit of Group E. Italian Football Federation leadership commended the team's development, with delegation director Claudio Ranieri stating that Italian football relies on cultivating talent across younger generations. Poland's qualification route now depends on Tuesday's concluding fixtures across the remaining groups, including games involving Greece, Northern Ireland, Germany, and Georgia. A favorable combination of results among second-placed teams would award Poland direct entry to the finals, while an unfavorable set of results will send them to two-legged play-off ties.