Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the European U21 Championship group stage match.
Denmark U21 and Finland U21 head into the final round of the group stage from opposite ends of the standings. Denmark U21 have already secured a spot in the quarter-finals, while Finland U21 have been eliminated from the competition.
Denmark U21
Denmark U21 advanced to the play-offs as group winners and became the first side to seal a place in the quarter-finals. Their next fixture promises to be a tough test regardless of who they face — potential opponents include Portugal U21, France U21, or even Georgia U21. Despite winning both of their group matches, the margins have been narrow, and there was no outright domination. Nevertheless, they remain the only team in Group D with a flawless record.
Finland U21
Finland U21 haven’t been entirely outclassed. Among all teams currently bottom of their respective groups, they are the only ones to have earned a point going into the final round. Finland U21 drew 2:2 with the Netherlands U21, then suffered a 0:2 defeat to Ukraine U21. They were on the verge of victory against the Netherlands U21, only to concede a stoppage-time equaliser in the 93rd minute.
Denmark U21 vs Finland U21 Prediction
These sides have some shared history from past qualifiers. They faced each other during the qualification campaigns for the 2019 and 2021 tournaments. Early meetings were one-sided — Denmark U21 won 5:0 and 2:0 in the first cycle. A year later, the margin narrowed to 1:0, and twelve months after that, it was 2:1. Given that the group leaders may rotate their squad and avoid unnecessary exertion, backing Finland U21 with a +1 handicap appears to be a sound choice.
