Prediction: Portugal U21 vs Belgium U21

Verdict: Portugal win

Best odds: 6/5

Bookmaker: Olympusbet

Portugal and Belgium face each other in the final round of the group stage in the ongoing UEFA Euro Under-21 tournament.

A draw could be enough for Belgium, currently second to Georgia, to secure passage into the quarterfinals, but they’ll obviously want to go all the way and make sure by booking all three points. For Portugal, who sit bottom of the group behind third-place Netherlands, nothing but victory gives any hope, and even that won’t guarantee anything.

Portugal

Despite never winning the European Under-21 Championship, Portugal has reached the final of the competition three times, with their most recent appearance being in 2021, where they lost to Germany.

In the current tournament, Portugal are obviously facing a tough challenge to secure a spot in the quarterfinals. They have had a disappointing start, only managing to gather one point from their first two matches in Group A.

Jorge’s team began their campaign with an unexpected 2-0 defeat against Georgia Under-21s. They then followed it up with a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands Under-21s, with Brian Brobbey equalizing Andre Almeida’s opener.

To have a chance of progressing to the knockout rounds, Portugal must secure a victory against Belgium, but even then, they will need Georgia to defeat the Netherlands in order to secure second place in the group and advance to the next stage. If they manage to win this match, they would be tied on four points with Georgia, but Georgia would finish ahead of them based on their head-to-head record.

 Team News

Portugal boasts a squad filled with quality and players who have experience at the highest level. The likes of Nuno Tavares, Andre Almeida, Pedro Neto, and Fabio Silva are obviously the name that stand out in this team.

Head coach Jorge faces important decisions when it comes to the team’s attacking options. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Fabio Silva potentially being left out of the starting lineup, with Henrique Araujo taking his place. Diego Moreira and Francisco Conceicao are also competing for a spot in the starting XI, highlighting the depth and options available to Portugal.

Furthermore, Tomas Araujo is now eligible to play after serving his suspension in the team’s previous match, adding more defensive options for the coach to consider.

Belgium

Belgium currently sit in second place in the group, starting the tournament with a goalless draw against the Netherlands and following it up with a 2-2 draw against Georgia on Saturday.

In their match against Georgia, Jacky Mathijssen’s team took a 2-0 lead through goals from Maxim De Cuyper and Largie Ramazani. However, Georgia managed to mount a comeback, securing a draw and splitting the points.

If Belgium win this match, they will advance to the knockout round for sure. A draw would also be sufficient if the Netherlands fails to defeat Georgia in the other match of the group.

Belgium’s best performance in the European Under-21 Championship came in 2007, when they reached the semi-finals. However, they surprisingly failed to qualify for the 2021 edition of the tournament.

Team News

Belgium will once again deploy Lois Openda as their primary striker, as he has an impressive track record of scoring 13 goals in 17 appearances at this level of football.

Largie Ramazani, who found the back of the net against Georgia, is expected to maintain his position in the attacking third. Additionally, AC Milan’s Charles De Ketelaere is set to start the match.

Hugo Siquet will feature as the right-back for Belgium once again, while Mandela Keita is also likely to be chosen in the central midfield, despite the competition for places in that area of the field.

Conclusion

Portugal haven’t been at the top of their game in this tournament yet, but it may well happen that this proves the game where they snap out of the stupor and start letting their quality shine.

Verdict: Portugal win

Best odds: 6/5

Bookmaker: Olympusbet