Strong series: Germany U21 challenges Italy in the European Championship quarter-finals!

Strong series: Germany U21 challenges Italy in the European Championship quarter-finals!

Today, June 22, 2025, the U21 national teams of Germany and Italy will face each other in the quarterfinals of the U21 European Championship. It is the third meeting between these two traditional teams at this prestigious tournament, having already competed against each other in 2009 and 2017. Germany U21 has a good record in the previous duels and was able to win all tournament games: They won 3-0 against Slovenia, 4-2 against the Czech Republic and 2-1 against England. With a total of nine goals scored, the team has the best attack in the European Championship, which only increases the anticipation for today's game. Wettbasis reports that coach Antonio di Salvo used a completely new starting eleven in the last group game in order to mobilize fresh forces.

But Italy's U21s have also drawn attention. The Squadra Azzurra have only conceded one goal in their tournament so far and are therefore showing an impressive defensive performance. However, in the last five European Championship finals, the Italian team failed to make it past the preliminary round three times. With seven points from three games, Italy qualified for the quarter-finals as second in the group behind Spain. In terms of betting odds, Germany U21 is slightly favored with odds of 1.90, while a win for Italy is rated at 4.05. Kicker also provided the projected lineups:

Expected lineups

In a direct comparison, Germany achieved six wins, four draws and only two defeats against Italy in 12 matches. The last duel, which took place in November 2022, was won by Germany 4-2. There is great excitement before the game and many are hoping for a high-scoring match. The odds for over 2.5 goals are 1.69, which suggests that the bookmakers are also expecting an exciting game.

U21 European Championship at a glance

The U-21 European Football Championship, organized by UEFA, is an important tournament for Europe's best youth teams. Since 1978, the finals have also served as qualification for the Olympic Games. The tournament has adopted various formats over the years and, as of 2021, is contested by 16 teams divided into four groups. The best teams qualify for the knockout round, where the tension increases again. Wikipedia offers exciting information about the development and history of the competition.

The clock is ticking and the anticipation for today's game is palpable. Both teams have a lot to prove and the spectators can look forward to an exciting duel. The final whistle will decide whether Germany can continue its impressive run against Italy or whether the Azzurrini will strike back and cause an upset. So let's turn our eyes to the pitch, where the talents of tomorrow are fighting for a place in the semi-finals!