Switzerland vs Italy facts

Goals could be at a premium as Switzerland take on Italy at the Cluj Arena on Matchday 2 in Group D at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship with the Azzurrini unbeaten in competitive U21 games against their neighbours.

The previous 11 European U21 Championship fixtures between the sides have yielded only 11 goals – ten of them scored by Italy.

The Azzurrini, however, are playing catch-up in Group D having gone down 2-1 to France in their opening fixture despite Pietro Pellegri's 36th-minute equaliser at the Cluj Arena. Switzerland came from behind to beat Norway by the same scoreline at the Dr. Constantin Rădulescu Stadium thanks to eye-catching strikes from Dan Ndoye (36) and Kastriot Imeri (56).

Five-time winners Italy have not lifted the trophy since triumphing in Germany in 2004, although they have progressed from the group stage in four of their last six finals appearances; Switzerland have not featured in the knockout rounds since reaching the 2011 final.

Previous meetings

Switzerland were 3-0 winners at home to Italy in the last friendly between the teams, on 25 March 2019, thanks to goals from Ervin Cömert (11pen), Ruben Vargas (38) and Petar Pusic (49) in Kriens.

That extended Switzerland's unbeaten record in friendlies against Italy since 1990 to three matches (W2 D1).

This is the sides' first competitive meeting since a 0-0 draw in Basel on 22 May 2002 on Matchday 3 of the final tournament. The result ensured Italy finished top of Group A on five points, one above Switzerland who also progressed as runners-up.

That was the countries' 11th European U21 Championship fixture but the first in the final tournament. It was also the second consecutive goalless draw in competitive meetings between the sides; indeed, Andrea Pirlo's 53rd-minute strike in Cremona on 9 October 1998 is the only goal in the last three European U21 Championship matches between Switzerland and Italy.

The goalless return game in that 2000 qualifying competition, in Geneva on 10 June 1999, was the only one Italy failed to win en route to topping the section with 22 points, eight ahead of eliminated runners-up Switzerland.

That draw ended a run of four successive victories for Italy in competitive games against the Swiss, all with a clean sheet.

Indeed, the Azzurrini have scored ten goals in their 11 European U21 Championship games against Switzerland, the sole goal conceded coming in a 1-1 draw in Empoli in November 1986.

Samuele Ricci and Lorenzo Colombo helped Italy to a 2-0 win against Switzerland in the opening round of group games at the 2018 European U17 Championship. Becir Omeragic, Julian Vonmoos, Bledian Krasniqi, Simon Sohm and Fabian Rieder all featured for the Swiss.

Nicolò Rovella and substitute Lorenzo Pirola were in the Italy side that drew 0-0 with Switzerland in a U19 friendly in Lecco, Lombardy on 12 February 2020. Leonidas Stergiou, Sohm and Darian Males started for the Swiss with Lewin Blum, Krasniqi and Rieder coming on.

Rovella helped Italy to a 2-1 defeat of Switzerland in another U19 friendly on 9 September 2019. Sohm captained the Swiss side with Males also starting and Krasniqi coming on.

Form guide

Switzerland

Switzerland are in their fifth final tournament, appearing in successive events for only the second time. Semi-finalists on home soil in 2002, their debut appearance, their most successful campaign came in 2011 when, with Yann Sommer in goal, they did not concede until a 2-0 loss to Spain in the final.

The Swiss qualified for the first time in five editions in 2021, finishing third in Group D on three points and losing out to Croatia on head-to-head goals scored after that pair and England had all finished level on three points.

The Matchday 1 win against Norway made it six victories in Switzerland's last nine finals matches although they had lost the previous two, against Croatia (2-3) and Portugal (0-3) in 2021.

A team coached by Mauro Lustrinelli qualified for the 2023 finals as the best runners-up overall, finishing second to the Netherlands in Group E. Switzerland won seven of their ten games, losing only away to the section winners (0-2).

Lustrinelli left to take charge of Thun on 1 July 2022, Patrick Rahmen being named as his replacement two weeks later.

Zeki Amdouni was Switzerland's top scorer in qualifying with six of their 22 goals, while Sohm started all ten matches.

Amdouni has also scored for the senior Switzerland side in all four of their opening UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers, five goals in total, including a double at home to Romania (2-2) on 19 June.

Goalscorer Ndoye had a total of nine attempts against Norway – four more than any other player on Matchday 1.

Italy

The joint most successful side in European U21 Championship history with five titles, a record they share with Spain, Italy are in the final tournament for the 14th time. They have qualified for all but one of the 13 editions since 2000, missing out only in 2011.

The Azzurrini are the only side to win three successive titles, between 1992 and 1996, and lifted the trophy five times in seven editions between 1992 and 2004 – although they have reached only one final since, losing to Spain in 2013.

In 2021 Paolo Nicolato's side finished second behind Spain in Group B, winning one of their three games and drawing the other two, before going down 5-3 after extra time to Portugal in the quarter-finals.

Italy qualified unbeaten for the 2023 tournament, winning seven of their ten matches to finish five points clear of runners-up the Republic of Ireland in Group F.

Rovella was Italy's top scorer in qualifying with three goals.

Italy have won only four of their 12 Matchday 1 fixtures at the U21 finals (D4 L4). They are without a win in their last four Matchday 2 games (D2 L2), their most recent success 4-0 against Israel in 2013, when they went on to reach the final.

Links and trivia

Has played in Switzerland:
Wilfried Gnonto (Zürich 2020–22)

Have played in Italy:
Darian Males (Inter Milan 2020–, Genoa 2020/21 loan)
Simon Sohm (Parma 2020–)

Have played together:
Becir Omeragic & Wilfried Gnonto (Zürich 2020–22)
Bledian Krasniqi & Wilfried Gnonto (Zürich 2021/22)
Darian Males & Nicolò Rovella (Genoa 2020/21)