Spain U21 vs Ukraine U21
, KO: 20:00 Jul 5, 2023, Steaua Stadium
A place in the final is the prize as Spain square off against Ukraine in the semi-finals of the European U21 Championship. Having already battled to a thrilling draw during the group stage, another closely fought encounter could be on the cards.
Spain secured a place in the last four of the Championship after claiming a 2-1 extra-time victory over Switzerland in the previous round. Sergio Gomez’s second half effort was cancelled by a late equaliser from the Swiss before Juan Miranda netted the winner in extra-time.
The Spaniards are considered favourites to go on and win the entire competition and they have not disappointed so far. The five-time champions are yet to lose a match in the tournament with their only dropped points interestingly coming against Ukraine as they were held 2-2 during the group stage.
Boasting plenty of attacking quality, Spain have generally eased past their opponents so far, scoring at least two goals in three of their four matches in the competition. However, the last two matches have exposed a defensive vulnerability as Santi Denia’s men have conceded three goals across both fixtures.
Ukraine were more comfortable in their quarter-final fixture as they claimed a stunning 3-1 victory over France. They fought back from a goal down to lead at the break thanks to a brace from Heorhiy Sudakov while Artem Bondarenko added the third four minutes from time.
The Ukrainians have been one of the surprise teams in the competition as they target a place in the final for the first time since 2006. Like Spain, Ruslan Rotan’s men are also unbeaten in this competition with three wins and a draw from four matches so far.
Ukraine have shown plenty of attacking verve in this competition, led by Sudakov, who has is the leading scorer with three goals. However, they have also shown some defensive vulnerability lately, conceding three goals in their last two matches.
How the bookies view it
Spain are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies with a home win priced at 7/10 by Unibet. A victory for Ukraine is valued at 19/5 with Unibet while Paddy Power is offering odds of 14/5 for a draw.
Head to head
Spain have never lost to Ukraine at this level, claiming a win and a draw from two previous meetings. Both teams battled to a 2-2 draw during the group stage with Abel Ruiz and Sudakov on target for their respective teams.
Players to watch
Abel Ruiz has been the standout player for Spain in this competition and has scored twice so far. The Benfica striker was also on target in the last meeting with Ukraine and is priced at 2/1 by William Hill to get on the score sheet on Wednesday.
Heorhiy Sudakov is the top scorer in this competition with three goals and will be the one to watch for Ukraine. The midfielder netted from the spot in the group stage meeting with Spain and could be worth keeping an eye on at 6/1 with Paddy Power.
Anything else catch the eye?
There were over 3.5 goals in the previous meeting between Spain and Ukraine and a repeat is priced at 9/4 by bet365. Over 2.5 goals can also be considered at 4/5 with Paddy Power while William Hill is also offering odds of 4/5 on both teams to score.
Given the minimal odds for a straight Spain victory, a win and over 2.5 goals can be considered at 13/8 with bet365.
This match between Spain U21 and Ukraine U21 will be played on Jul 5, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Spain U21 vs Ukraine U21 prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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