Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Euro U21 Championship match.
Just like two years ago, Portugal U21 have reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Back then, they faced a formidable England U21 team. This time, the challenge appears slightly more manageable, as they go up against the Netherlands U21.
Portugal U21
Heading into the final round of the group stage, Portugal U21 had not yet fully secured their place in the knockout round. However, their performance against Georgia U21 confirmed their qualification. There were some concerns ahead of that match, given that the Georgians had beaten them two years ago (2:0), but without the support of a home crowd this time, Georgia U21 were unable to repeat that result. The Portuguese team delivered a commanding 4:0 victory.
Netherlands U21
Before the final match day, the Netherlands U21 were third in their group, trailing Ukraine U21 by two points. However, a direct encounter decided the outcome in favour of the Dutch team (2:0). They were reduced to ten men in the 81st minute after a sending off for midfielder Youri Pieter Regeer, but still managed to keep a clean sheet. Reaching the knockout round already marks progress compared to their Euro 2023 campaign, when they failed to get out of the group.
Portugal U21 vs Netherlands U21 Prediction
Portugal U21 enter the match with a slight edge, and expectations are that a win for them would yield a promising return. The squad does appear stronger, but it is worth noting that these teams met in the group stage of the previous tournament and played out a 1:1 draw. We believe Portugal U21 will come out on top this time, although the result may not be settled within 90 minutes.
