Ukraine U19 vs Italy U19 prediction 05.07.2026 | UEFA European U19 Championship

Ukraine U19 head into their final group-stage fixture in impressive form, playing some of the most dynamic and eye-catching football at the tournament, while firmly establishing themselves as genuine contenders to go all the way and potentially claim a first European crown since 2009.

The young Synio-Zhovti made an immediate statement in their opening match by sweeping aside Croatia 3-1 in Bangor, before underlining their ambitions with another tactically mature performance as they edged past Serbia U19 2-1 to secure a place in the semi-finals with a game to spare.

The primary objective for Dmytro Mykhaylenko’s side on Sunday will be to maintain their strong momentum while carefully managing squad freshness, although they will also be intent on securing a favourable result that could help them avoid tournament favourites Spain on the road to the final.

The Ukraine boss has a fully fit squad at his disposal, but he may opt to rotate several defensive players who are currently walking a disciplinary tightrope with yellow cards, in order to avoid any costly suspensions ahead of the semi-final stage.

Italy U19 head into their trip to Caernarfon with the clear intention of returning to the winning podium they last occupied three years ago when they narrowly defeated Portugal 1-0, although their current ambition is to make a stronger statement on the final matchday and secure top spot in the group standings.

Alberto Bollini’s star-studded side began their European Championship campaign with clinical efficiency, comfortably dispatching Serbia U19 in a controlled 2-0 victory, before failing to convert their dominance into maximum points against Croatia in Matchday Two, ultimately being held to a goalless draw despite once again dictating large spells of the contest.

With just a single point needed to secure progression to the semi-finals of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship, Gli Azzurrini will not be content with simply doing the bare minimum, as they instead aim to execute a winning game plan against a strong Ukraine side and potentially leapfrog them at the summit of the group.

Head coach Bollini is expected to field a strong starting lineup with minimal changes to his XI, although he will also need to carefully manage a number of key players who are already walking a disciplinary tightrope with yellow cards to their name.