Malta lost 2-0 against Italy yesterday in a Group 13 match valid for the European U-19 Championship. The half-time score was 2-0. The match was played at the Iesi Stadium in Ancona.

The Maltese went down 3-0 to Croatia on Saturday. They will end their commitments in this Mini-Tournament when they play Montenegro on Thursday.

The Maltese were on the back foot in the initial stages and conceded a goal after 14 minutes when Alessandro Morbidelli latched on to a cross from Andrea Poli to plant past goalkeeper Nicholas Vella. Thirteen minutes later the host team were awarded a penalty and Okaka Chuka Stefano netted the second goal from the spot-kick.

The Maltese acquitted themselves better in the second period. Play was restricted to midfield exchanges, although on one occasion Beppe Muscat forced the Italian goalkeeper into a fine save.