Portugal u21s will take on the Netherlands u21s in the quarter-finals of the Under-21 European Championships on Saturday, in a mouthwatering clash in Slovakia.
These two heavyweights have both fared well at the tournament so far, but it is Portugal who come into in better form after winning their group without conceding a goal.
The Netherlands, meanwhile, needed a win over Ukraine in their final group match to make it through to the quarter-finals.
How the bookies view it: Portugal start as favourites
Unsurprisingly, given that they are the group winners in this tie, Portugal are the favourites to win this match with the bookies. BoyleSports have priced a Portugal win at 5/4, while a victory for the Netherlands has been priced slightly longer at 7/4. The draw, which would take the match to extra time, has been priced at 23/10.
Head to head: Only one clash of note
Due to the nature of youth football, where squads are forever evolving, it is only worth considering the most recent match between Portugal u21s and Netherlands u21s. That clash, in June 2023, finished 1-1, which proves how evenly matched these two nations are at youth level.
Players to watch: Will Quenda be the difference maker?
It is widely agreed that Geovany Quenda is the best player at the under-21 European Championships, and so far, the teenage winger is living up to the hype in Slovakia.
Quenda, who has been regular for Sporting Lisbon for a couple of years now, does appear too good for this level of football, and he has scored three goals in three matches so far without ever really getting out of second gear.
With just one more season left in Portugal before he makes his highly anticipated move to Chelsea in the summer of 2026, it will be fascinating to see how he continues to grow at international level.
The Netherlands have a couple of top young players to keep an eye on, too. The standout name is Ruben van Bommel, who has the impossible task of living up to his father's incredibly high standards. Van Bommel is talented in his own right, but is still looking for his first goal at the tournament.
Predicted line-ups
The only significant news out of both camps is that Youri Regeer will be unavailable for the Netherlands following his red card against Ukraine. The midfielder has only made two cameo appearances at the tournament, though, so he shouldn't be a huge loss. Portugal are expected to go in unchanged after an impressive group stage.
Portugal u21s: Soares – Pinheiro, Lamba, Muniz, Nazinho – Santos, Nascimento, Bernardo – Quenda, Fernandes, Araujo
Netherlands u21s: Roefs – Rensch, Van den Berg, Hato, Maatsen – Taylor, Flamingo, Valente – Manhoef, Van Bommel, Van Bergen
Anything else catch the eye?
Portugal's defensive record has been immaculate at the tournament so far, but going forward, they have also been brilliant. After drawing their opening game, they have scored nine goals across their last two matches and have attacking quality wherever you look. Portugal to score over 1.5 goals is priced at 1/1 with BoyleSports.
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