U21 European Cup: Italy is in good shape, is it difficult to protect the Spanish team?

U21 European Cup: Spain U21VS Italy U21

Match time: 2025-06-18 03:00 Wednesday

Team recent situation analysis:

Spanish team performed well in this U21 European Cup. The team defeated Slovakia and Romania in the first two rounds of the group stage respectively. Currently, they are temporarily in line with their goal difference, and are ranked first in Group A with the advantage of goal difference. The Spanish and Italian teams are both popular teams to win the U21 European Cup. Due to the continuous emergence of outstanding young players in recent years, the Spanish team has shown strong championship-winning ability in all cup competitions. This time, the young players are also full of confidence in competing for the U21 European Cup.

However, after the first two group matches, the Spanish team actually exposed many flaws. First of all, although the team's offensive ability is relatively guaranteed, the players' defensive awareness is relatively weak. The Spanish team had a considerable advantage in both games, with a sharp lead in the opponent's possession rate and goal-to-shooting times. However, the process of defeating the opponent seemed a bit ups and downs. The Romania was the first to break the deadlock on the court shortly after the opening of the last game. In the case of a long siege, the Spanish team finally relied on its number of advantages to reversal against Romania at the end of the game. Obviously, there were some problems with the offensive efficiency of this young Spanish team.

Secondly, looking at the first two rounds of group matches, it is not difficult to find an effective way to crack it when facing intensive defense. There is no high center forward player in this team, and they can only continuously penetrate the opponent's midfield and backcourt defense line through ground penetration. Once the defense intensity of the opponent is more guaranteed, it is obvious that whether the Spanish team can still penetrate the opponent's defense line is also necessary to set a question mark. Moreover, there are no players like Yamal and Williams in this Spanish team, and their offensive ability on the left and right sides is far from comparable to that of the Spanish national team. If the players cannot show a more positive defensive attitude in subsequent games, it may be difficult for the Spanish team to launch a strong enough impact on the U21 European Cup championship trophy.

The Italian team performed well in this U21 European Cup. Although the teams defeated their opponents 1-0 in the first two group stages, their offensive ability seems to be relatively limited. However, the Italian team's defensive strength and the players' defensive enthusiasm are relatively guaranteed. This can be seen from the Italian team's two consecutive games of zero-point opponents. In the competition, the team's offensive ability is important, but in fact, stable defensiveness is often the key factor that determines whether a team can go further in the cup. As long as the Italian team players can continue to continue their state, I believe this team is definitely capable of competing for the final championship trophy.

Personal perspective, the Italian team currently uses the defensive toughness is quite guaranteed. Degnande, who is at the forefront, and Cassadi and Barzidan in the midfield, both have excellent individual combat capabilities. Moreover, it seems that these young players do not have the problem of tacit understanding in terms of cooperation. Through some simple passes and receiving cooperation, the opponent's regional joint defense can be broken down. The defensive counterattack tactic itself emphasizes simplicity, speed and efficiency. Since the Italian players can fully demonstrate the characteristics of the 4321 formation at this stage, this team should have the strength to compete with any top team.

Event analysis: The last time the Spanish team met with Italy was traced back to the 2021 U21 European Cup. In the end, the two sides exchanged 0-0 and each took away one point. In the last eight matches, the Spanish team has achieved a record of four wins, two draws and two losses, and obviously still has a certain psychological advantage. However, judging from the results of the first two rounds of group stages, the overall combat capability of the Spanish team has actually declined slightly. Not only is the offensive efficiency not as good as before, but the defensive stability has also declined a lot. The Italian team has become more efficient and pragmatic. With the support of the 4321 formation, the team's defensive strength and counterattack efficiency are more guaranteed. Considering that this game is a key battle for the top spot in the group, players on both sides will definitely play more cautiously. Once the Spanish team's formation is too large, the Italian team will have the opportunity to grab the key three-pointer from the Spanish team with a quick counterattack.