Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the European U21 Championship group stage match.
Poland U21 failed to qualify for the previous UEFA European Under-21 Championship, and based on their current group stage performance, their struggles continue. After two rounds, they sit bottom of the group, and now must face one of the main contenders for progression — France U21.
France U21
France U21 encountered challenges in their opening two fixtures, though it’s worth noting that their opponents were considerably stronger than Poland U21. Both Portugal U21 and Georgia U21 reached the quarter-finals in the last tournament. Portugal U21 found no way past Guillaume Restes, with only three of their sixteen attempts hitting the target, but France U21 were equally inefficient, converting just four of their thirteen shots. Their clash with Georgia U21 was a dramatic one — they equalised in the 89th minute and then snatched a win deep into added time, scoring in the 12th minute of stoppage time.
Poland U21
Poland U21 have found the net only once so far, and even that came from the penalty spot — ultimately not enough to secure any points, as Georgia U21 scored a late winner in the 94th minute. In terms of strength, Georgia U21 are a more comparable opponent than France U21. A more telling benchmark is their meeting with Portugal U21, where Poland U21 suffered a heavy 0:5 defeat, conceding five goals from just eight shots on target.
France U21 vs Poland U21 Prediction
These two sides haven’t met in recent years, but the gulf in quality is evident. We expect a dominant display from France U21, who will aim to improve their goal difference in comparison to Portugal U21.
