Under-17: Armenia claim third-place showdown in the final straight

San Marino and Armenia, after their meetings with Belarus and Bosnia and Herzegovina, face off in the final Group B2 fixture of Round 2 of EURO U-17 2025 with third place on the line. Before kick-off, that position belonged to the Titani thanks to a better goal difference.

The youngsters in light blue start brightly, favouring the left flank with some effective combinations involving Grandoni, Molinari and Arlotti – but the Armenian defence consistently manages to snuff out the danger. Grigoryan’s boys threaten Conti through Shahgeldyan, before the game settles into a period of substantial balance. On 19 minutes, Stefani is decisive in heading away a shot-cross from Gasparyan, while the Titani make themselves dangerous from a corner midway through the half: Petrosyan punches clear and, from the continuation of the move, Meloni swings the ball back into the middle but finds no team-mate able to take advantage of the cross. On the half-hour mark the same San Marino midfielder tries his luck from a dead ball, but Gasparyan is equal to it. All of San Marino’s best first-half chances come through Meloni: on 33 minutes he wins back possession and releases Molinari, who skims the top corner from the edge of the box. In the closing stages of the half, Armenia reappear in the San Marino half but fail to make the most of two fine openings for Voskanyan and Gasparyan, the latter failing to hit the target in a one-on-one with Conti.

At the start of the second half there is a single change: on comes Arakelyan, who will eventually decide the contest. However, it is San Marino who once again leave the blocks quicker, without though managing to carve out shooting opportunities. The match races along to midway through the half, when Armenia go close with a header from Aleksayan that fails to hit the target. It is effectively the final chance before the decisive episode in the home straight: Movsesyan tries to catch Cenci out with a free-kick from the edge of the area that is deflected by the wall, the San Marino goalkeeper gets a hand to it but on the rebound Arakelyan has no trouble turning the ball worth three points into the back of the net. A draw would be enough for Bonesso’s boys to finish third: Ciacci sets up a shot for Canarezza, which crashes into the body of an opponent. From the same move, Meloni also tries his luck, sending the ball just over the bar. On 89 minutes the youngsters in light blue threaten again from a corner, with a short delivery to Canarezza, whose effort at the near post forces a decisive intervention from Petrosyan. The Titani rack up corners at the death, throwing everything forward in search of a goal – but they are denied by a watchful Armenian backline. In the group’s other fixture, hosts Bosnia and Herzegovina defeat their Belarusian counterparts 2-1, clinching top spot and with it a place in League A for the next round of qualifying for the European Championship in this age category.

Euro U17 2025, Round 2 – League B | San Marino-Armenia 0-1

SAN MARINO (3-4-3)

Conti; Zavoli (56’ Sammaritani), Montali, Colombini (70’ Pennacchini); Tamagnini, Stefani, Meloni, Terni; Arlotti (70’ Ciacci), Grandoni (83’ Biordi), Molinari (56’ Canarezza)

Substitutes: Cenci, Bucchi, Guidi, Cervellini

Head coach: Alessandro Loris Bonesso

ARMENIA (4-1-4-1)

Petrosyan; Yeghiazaryan, Movsesyan, Beybutyan, Sukiasyan (74’ H. Karapetyan); Ghukasyan; Gareginyan (46’ Arakelyan), Shahgeldyan (65’ Aleksanyan), Voskanyan, D. Davtyan (74’ Asiryan); Gasparyan

Substitutes: Ghishyan, Khachatryan, Dokhoyan, S. Karapetyan, J. Davtyan

Head coach: Razmik Grigoryan

Referee: Oscar Johnson (SWE)

Assistant referees: Runo Sebastian Robertsson (SWE) and Bojan Makarić (BIH)

Fourth official: Danijel Perić (BIH)

Scorer: 83’ Arakelyan

Booked: Voskanyan, Zavoli, Montali, Arakelyan, Terni