Norway are the third obstacle standing in the way of the Under-21 National Team, who will take to the pitch at the Cluj Arena tomorrow evening (20:45 CEST) with the aim of qualifying for the European Championship quarter-finals. After the unlucky 2-1 defeat to France in their opening game and 3-2 victory over Switzerland, the Azzurrini will be looking to reproduce their first-half performance against the Swiss and avoid the mistakes that resulted in their opponents getting back into the game after the restart.

“Our overall condition is OK,” said Paolo Nicolato in today’s press conference at the Cluj Arena, where more than 3,000 fans are expected to be in attendance tomorrow. “This is consistent with the fact that we’ve played two games in quick succession, which certainly takes its toll. We’re happy with what we’ve done so far and hope to progress, continuing to perform well and improving on the aspects that we didn’t do so well in during certain spells across the two games. We’ll adapt to Norway, adopting a specific tactical approach for this match.”

It would be foolish to underestimate a team that were only narrowly defeated by France and Switzerland, who play good football and who could still make it to the quarters. Leif Gunnar Smerud’s side press high, don’t give many chances away and have some dangerous players in attack, like Oscar Bobb (the Manchester City winger who, after Rodri, has completed the most dribbles during the current Euros, 10), Sassuolo man Emil Konradsen Ceide and Salernitana striker Erik Botheim. “They’re a good and well-coached team with certain playing principles. With all due respect for the other sides, the knowledge they possess is of a higher level. I like them, and they pass the ball around well. They took the lead against Switzerland before losing and comfortably matched France in a game where there were very few chances. We’re expecting a really good match.” It’s good news that Erling Haaland, who could have potentially played at the Euros given his age, won’t be involved: “It’s clear that a striker like him doesn’t come along every day,” said Nicolato in response to a Norwegian journalist who asked him about the Manchester City forward’s absence.

The only certainty is that it’ll all come down to tomorrow. Italy, who added the finishing touches to their preparations at the UBB Training Center today, have an excellent chance of qualifying if they win (unless Switzerland beat France by a one-goal margin other than 1-0 or 2-1), while they could also progress with a draw (providing Switzerland don’t beat France) or even a defeat.

However, the Azzurrini are better off not making too many calculations and instead playing for the three points, all the while aware that they have everything required to continue their journey in a competition where three places at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are up for grabs: “I said right from the start that our group would be difficult,” continued Nicolato. “It’s full of quality, and they’re all matches where you can’t expect to dominate from start to finish. It’s really balanced, but we’ll play our cards tomorrow. It was difficult to imagine being in a situation with two teams on six points and the other two on zero. It’s only right that it’s played out like it has because all the teams are of a high standard, including the two sides who unfortunately won’t end up making it through.”

Sitting next to the Head Coach in the press room was Pietro Pellegri. After scoring against France in the team’s opener, the Torino attacker also started against Switzerland but only played one half, with Nicolato preferring to preserve him: “I would have liked to remain on the pitch to help the team, but I’d picked up a booking and played 90 minutes three days earlier, which is something I hadn’t done for a while. The Coach made his decision, which was the right one,” he said.

A precocious talent who scored on his Serie A debut on the day Francesco Totti said goodbye to football, Pellegri knows what it is like to be compared to big names at a very young age and also receive seemingly excessive criticism at times: “The positive side is the fantastic moments you experience very early on, but, on the other hand, you are catapulted into a world that 16-year-olds don’t usually find themselves in. I’ve also had a lot of problems, and both the positive and negative aspects have helped me make great strides forward emotionally, mentally and character-wise.

Tomorrow, Pellegri will be on the hunt for his fourth U21 goal and his second of the current tournament, all the while knowing it could prove decisive in the race for qualification: “We’ve studied Norway in the past few days. They pass the ball around well and are strong physically, but we need to focus on our strengths in order to do as best we can in the match.” And the forward thinks there’s more to come: “We still haven’t fully shown what we’re capable of. During our two-week training camp in Tirrenia, I saw a group that possesses plenty of desire and quality. The best is still to come from this Italy side.”

Group D fixtures, results and standings

First matchday (22 June)

Norway 1-2 Switzerland
France 2-1 ITALY

Second matchday (25 June)

Switzerland 2-3 ITALY 
Norway 0-1 France

Standings: France 6, Switzerland 3, Italy 3, Norway 0

Third matchday (28 June)

20:45 CEST: Switzerland vs. France (Constantin Radulescu Stadium, Cluj-Napoca)
(20:45 CEST): ITALY vs. Norway (Cluj Arena, Cluj-Napoca)