Italy down England 2-1 to grab a berth in UEFA Under-19 final

Italy overcame England 2-1 as Federico Dimarco's brace sealed the deal in the semifinal of the UEFA U-19 EURO in Mannheim, Germany on Thursday.

England dictated the pace of the game but Italy scored twice through Federico Dimarco to smooth the way into the final. Alberto Picchi's late own goal made the game exciting in the closing period yet England were unable to reduce the arrears.

The "Young Lions" took the reins from the start while Italy lurked for counter attack opportunities. England came close after two header chances before Italy opened the scoring with their second chance. England's Fikayo Tomori felled Andrea Favilli inside the box, allowing Dimarco to convert his third foul play penalty of the tournament in the 27th minute.

Italy maintained their momentum and doubled their advantage after the restart when Dimarco utilized a dead ball to curl the ball over the wall into the top left corner for the 2-0 lead.

England pressed frenetically to pull one back. They had, however, to wait until the 85th minute before Picchi cleared the ball into the wrong goal following a corner. The "Young Lions" piled on the pressure but were unable to avoid their semi-final exit against Italy.

"We are obviously very disappointed as we have shown very good performances during this tournament," England coach Adrian Boothroyd said. "At the end of the day, goals decide the game, and we have learned a painful lesson."

Italy's coach Paolo Vanoli said: "After this victory, I want to congratulate England. They have an outstanding team. We wanted to win with all power and have subordinated everything for the result."

The Italians encounter either Portugal or France in the final in Sinsheim, Germany on Sunday. Endit