Verdict: Portugal win
Best odds: 2/5
Bookmaker: Olympusbet
On Saturday, Portugal Under-21s face Poland Under-21s in Trencin for their second group-stage fixture at the European Under-21 Championship.
Portugal began their campaign with a narrow loss to Georgia, while Poland managed to hold to a draw in their opening match, earning a valuable point against one of the tournament favourites.
Portugal
Portugal remain in pursuit of their first-ever Under-21 European Championship crown, having finished as runners-up three times in the past. However, their latest campaign began on a flat note, as they were held to a goalless draw by in Wednesday’s group opener.
That result extended Rui Jorge’s winless run to three matches, with the last victory coming in a 3-1 friendly win over Slovakia in November. Still, Portugal will back themselves to collect enough points from their final group games against Poland and Georgia to reach the knockout stage for a third straight tournament.
History, however, isn’t fully on their side — Portugal have only managed one win in seven previous matchday-two fixtures at the Under-21 Euros (D3, L3), a 2-0 victory over England in 2021.
Team News
In of selection, left-back Nazinho is pushing for a start after coming on at half-time against .
Rui Jorge may also choose to shake up his frontline by introducing Wolves winger Carlos Forbs, while Tiago Tomas is expected to retain his place up front, aiming to build on his two-goal tally for the Under-21s.
Poland
Poland are back at the Under-21 European Championship for the first time since consecutive group stage eliminations in 2017 and 2019, and their current crop are eager to make history by reaching the knockout rounds for the first time ever.
However, their quarter-final ambitions suffered an early setback with a 2-1 loss to tournament co-hosts Georgia on Wednesday. Despite levelling through Jakub Kałuzinski’s 73rd-minute penalty, Poland were undone by a stoppage-time strike from Vasilios Gordeziani.
That defeat marked their fourth match without a win in five outings (W1, D1, L3), casting doubt on their chances ahead of meetings with Portugal and .
Team News
Head coach Adam Majewski may stick with the five-man defensive line that started the opener, featuring Dominik Marczuk, Patryk Peda, Ariel Mosor, Michał Gurgul and Arkadiusz Pyrka.
In attack, Tomasz Pienko is a contender to start if Majewski opts for changes, while Filip Szymczak — who has scored eight goals in 26 caps at this level — is likely to lead the line again.
Conclusion
Poland may still be feeling the sting of their last-gasp defeat to Georgia, and it’s difficult to see them quickly recovering against a talented Portugal outfit.
Rui Jorge’s side possess greater technical quality and squad depth, and with added urgency after dropping points in their opener, they are likely to raise their performance levels. As a result, we expect Portugal to secure a fairly routine win to get their campaign back on track.
Verdict: Portugal win
Best odds: 2/5
Bookmaker: Olympusbet
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