In a surprising turn of events, the Italian Under-21 national team succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against the Netherlands, despite the Dutch side being reduced to nine men during a friendly match at the Stadio Penzo in Venice.

This preparatory game was intended to help the Azzurrini gear up for the upcoming Under-21 European Championship in June, where they will face Romania, Slovakia, and Spain in their group matches.

The match saw Italian forward Willy Gnonto squander several goal-scoring opportunities. Unexpectedly, it was the Netherlands who took the lead when Ernest Poku set up Kian Fitz-Jim for an easy tap-in, catching Italian goalkeeper Sebastiano Desplanches off guard.

Italy managed to equalize through a Sebastiano Esposito penalty after Marco Palestra was fouled in the box. However, the game took a dramatic turn when the Netherlands were reduced to ten men following a harsh tackle on Tommaso Baldanzi.

Despite the numerical advantage, Italy struggled to capitalize. The situation became even more favorable for the Italians when the Dutch were further reduced to nine men after Lamare Bogarde received two yellow cards just 22 minutes into his Under-21 debut.

In a shocking finale, the Netherlands managed to snatch victory in the last minute of the game. Substitute Max Bruns tapped in an assist from Noah Ohio, leaving the Italian side stunned and defeated.

Match Summary

Italy 1-2 Netherlands

Scorers: Fitz-Jim 19 (N), S Esposito pen 53 (I), Bruns 93 (N)

This unexpected result serves as a wake-up call for the Italian U21 team as they continue their preparations for the European Championship.