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England will take on Spain in the Under 21 European Championship final on Saturday afternoon at the Adjarabet Stadium in Batumi. The game kicks off at 5pm UK time.
England Under-21s
England couldn’t have asked for an easier semi-final clash. Lee Carsley’s men eased past Guy Luzon’s Israel for the second time in the tournament and subsequently booked their place in this showpiece event. It’s their first U21 European Championship final in 14 years and they will be looking to finish the job on Saturday afternoon.
Match has ended
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Remarkably, the Young Lions have reached this stage without conceding a single goal. Spain were the last side (in 1998) to lift the trophy without shipping a single goal and they will be keen to preserve that record this weekend.
Nevertheless, Carsley’s men were up against it at times vs Portugal and they stood up to the pressure sufficiently.
The former Everton midfielder has not been afraid to mix it up during this tournament and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see one or two changes for the final. There are plenty of options on the bench with Cameron Archer coming off the bench to notch in midweek and with Noni Madueke and Harvey Elliott also looking for a place in the starting XI, Carsley has some very big decisions to make.
Spain Under-21s
Spain fell behind to Ukraine in the semi-final, however, they fought back admirably and ran out convincing winners (5-1). They have a tremendous record in this tournament and will be searching for a sixth success in this event. The next generation of Spanish players are hugely exciting and with the national team seemingly stagnating and lacking a focal point, many of these players are putting themselves firmly in the shop window ahead of Euro 2024 next summer.
With England’s defensive record, Spain will need to be at their creative best here and they have multiple routes to goal. Abel Ruiz, Sergio Gomez and Juan Miranda have all contributed to Spain’s goal haul this tournament and they could be the first team to breach England’s watertight back-line. The former pair will be vying to clinch the tournament’s Golden Boot.
Spain are a very technical side and they are always able to create chances. Their matches at this tournament have been hugely entertaining and very watchable affairs.
Head to Head
This is the first meeting between these two sides since 2011. The pair have only previously met twice and although it’s a small sample size, England U21 remain unbeaten against this opposition.
In 2011, this pair drew 1-1 at the European Championships with Ander Herrera and Danny Welbeck getting themselves on the scoresheet. Fraiser Campbell and James Milner netted the goals in England’s 2-0 victory back in 2009.
Key Betting Stats
- England are the only side at the tournament yet to concede a goal
- 67% of Spain’s goals at this tournament have come in the second half. They’ve also conceded 50% of their goals in the final ten minutes.
- Spain have scored more goals than any other side at this tournament (13)
- BTTS has landed in 60% of Spain’s matches at this tournament.
- Both sides will be looking to get hold of the ball. England have averaged 60% possession so far with Spain averaging 59%.
- England have a shot conversion rate of 18% so far this tournament and have averaged 14.8 efforts per match.
Match Prediction
This is England’s trickiest assignment so far and the Young Lions’ watertight defence will be tested by Spain’s trickery. Their run of clean sheets is unlikely to be preserved in this match and given both side’s attacking weapons, I’d expect plenty of chances at both ends.
Winning Combo
Over 2.5 Goals and BTTS
Odds – 7/4 with Betfair
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