Norway U21 take on the visitors France U21 in the round 2 match of UEFA Euro U21 group stage. The match will be played on Sunday, June 25th at Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu (Cluj-Napoca).
The Norwegian youth team lost their first match with a score of 1-2 against their Swiss counterparts, and their performance left a mixed impression. The Norwegians appeared more active and dangerous in attack, and in the 19th minute of the match, thanks to individual actions by Sassuolo forward Emil Saide, they opened the scoring. However, the uncertain play of the Norwegian defense and the goalkeeper's positional mistakes completely nullified the efforts of the attacking players. The first goal conceded by the Norwegians came after a cut in the center of the field and a subsequent counter-attack that ended with a shot almost in the center of the goal. The second goal was scored by the Swiss defender Imere with a long-range bending shot. In both cases, the Norwegian goalkeeper clearly lost control of his goal.
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The French youth team defeated the Italian team in the opening match of the tournament with a score of 2-1. The "Little Blues" dominated the field in the first half, fully controlling the ball, combining well, and launching swift counter-attacks. The first goal scored by the French, a back-heel strike after a cross, was particularly impressive. However, the French team showed vulnerability in defending set-pieces near their own goal. It was after a free-kick that the Italians equalized, and they also had another dangerous moment from a corner kick. In the second half, the French mainly played on the counter-attack and managed to catch their opponents off guard with a serious mistake near their own goal. The French team's finish was slightly marred as they were reduced to ten men after a foul, almost letting the victory slip away from their grasp. Nonetheless, they managed to hold onto the win with great difficulty.
The first match of the Norwegians in the tournament fully exposed the weaknesses of Leif Gunnar Smerud's team, which include an unreliable defense and weak goalkeeping. While it might be possible to address the goalkeeper issue by making a change, it is unlikely that the defensive problems can be fixed in such a short period of time. Against a strong opponent like the French team, defensive mistakes can have dire consequences, and therefore the probability of another defeat and an early exit from the group stage is high. The French team, on the other hand, looked very solid for the majority of the match against the Italians, which is not surprising considering the squad at Sylvain Ripoll's disposal. The only downside was their performance in set-pieces. It seemed that the French youth team didn't give their all in the previous match, and the potential of this team is much higher. But even in such a situation, the French managed to defeat the Italians. I believe that Norway has fewer chances for a positive result compared to Italy, so I expect to see another confident victory for the favorite with at least two goals scored.
Prediction for the match: France U21 to win and over 1.5 scored goals.
