England U21 take Portugal U21 in the 1/4-finals of UEFA Euro U21 playoffs. The match will be played on Sunday, June 2nd at Stadion Ramaz Shengelia (Kutaisi).
England dominated youth football during its inception in the late 70s and early 80s. However, gradually the "Young Lions" often took a backseat. After reaching the semifinals in 2017, they failed to advance from the group stage in the subsequent five tournaments. The current generation, led by Lee Carsley, has achieved more than their predecessors in 2019 and 2021. They performed exceptionally well in the qualifiers, only dropping points against Slovenia. During the actual tournament, the British team consistently displayed outstanding results, winning every match with a scoreline of 2-0. This included matches against nominal underdogs such as the Czech Republic and Israel. Even after securing their place in the playoffs, they maintained their determination, scoring a couple of goals against Germany by the 21st minute and defending their lead.
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Portugal youth team has yet to become continental champions, although they have reached the final several times, including the previous Euro, where they lost in the decisive match. In the current qualification campaign, Portugal secured 9 victories with only one draw, which many attributed to the weakness of their group opponents. Concerns were raised as they headed to the tournament with a number of personnel losses, including the injury to their midfield leader, Fabio Vieira from Arsenal. They started their campaign in Georgia with a deserved 0-2 defeat. However, they gradually improved their performance. They initially managed to draw against the Netherlands, with the Dutch equalizing through Brobbey's goal in the 78th minute. In the decisive match against Belgium, they secured a crucial victory with a penalty goal converted by Dantas in the 89th minute.
In 11 previous encounters, England has only won four times, while Portugal has six victories, including the last two matches. Portugal also won against England in the previous Euro. Bookmakers consider England as the clear favorite in this matchup. Therefore, it is recommended to bet on the "Young Lions" securing a victory in regular time in this football match.
Prediction for the match: England U21 to win.
