Alphadjo Cisse’s last-gasp winner means Italy can still top the European Under-21 Championship qualifying group, but only if they beat Poland by two clear goals on Monday.

The Azzurrini have been trailing in second place in Group E behind a Poland side with a 100 per cent record, having won all nine matches with 26 goals scored and only two conceded.

Silvio Baldini’s side managed to keep up as best they could, winning eight and losing just the head-to-head with Poland after fumbling a lead in a 2-1 defeat back in November 2025.

Only the top team go through directly to the European Under-21 Championship next summer, so it is a straight showdown in Pescara on Monday, the final game of the group stage.

As Poland have a better overall goal difference, with the Azzurrini scoring 26 and conceding five, they need to get a better goal difference in the head-to-head record and cannot afford to merely match it.

That means they must win by two clear goals on Monday to take first place.

If the Nazionale don’t manage that, then they can still qualify for the tournament as one of the two runners-up with the best record, not counting results against sixth-placed teams.

That is likely to be Greece, because they too are on 24 points and expect to be behind Germany thanks to the head-to-head record.