The UEFA European Under-21 Championship begins this Friday, with Europe’s next generation taking the field. Hosted in Poland, 12 of the continent’s best face off for the title of European Champions. Big names like Mesut Özil, Isco and Gianluigi Buffon used the tournament as a stepping stone, before becoming senior national team members. Tournament favourites Spain headline group B, featuring an exciting Portugal team, a rather interesting Serbia side and outsiders Macedonia.
European Under-21 Championship Group B Preview
Spain
Tournament favourites Spain arrive with confidence and quality. Albert Celades could be accused of having an easy job, but managing this much talent is harder than it looks. As we’ve seen in previous tournaments, talent isn’t everything. Finding the right balance with this group will be key to La Roja winning it all.
As usual, the Spanish arrive with good depth in all areas except up front and will likely play with no obvious striker and will rely on the midfielders to score most of the goals. This shouldn’t stop such a talented group from thriving in a tournament they are expected to win.
Player to watch—Marco Asensio
In a tournament which has produced great Spanish midfielders like Juan Mata, Thiago Alcântara and Isco, Marco Asensio could be the next in a long line. The Real Madrid midfielder will play a key role for this Spain team in a tournament where the midfielders must be at their best.
Likely playing alongside Saúl Ñíguez and Gerard Deulofeu, Asensio has a lot to prove. Saúl and Deulofeu have been regulars with their teams this past season, Asensio quite the opposite. This tournament is an ideal opportunity for the midfielder to make his case to manager Zinedine Zidane.
Portugal
Runners-up last time around, Portugal enter the tournament expecting to reach the semi-finals. Players like Ruben Semedo, Ruben Neves and exciting winger Bruma all arrive with transfer speculation surrounding them, so expect Portugal to be the scouts’ choice this time around.
Predicted to be the second best team in Group B, Romeu Almeida’s team will look to go one better than last time. The future of Portuguese football is bright, with the National team winning last summer’s European Championship. This time, the youngsters of Portuguese football will look to replicate the achievements of Cristiano Ronaldo and others.
Player to watch—Renato Sanches
After securing a big-money move to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, Renato Sanches will look to lead this team to glory despite not having played a single qualification game for the Quinas.
Providing energy in the middle of the park, Sanches is a player to rely on having already won the senior European Championship last year. The 19-year-old will be a key player for Almeida’s team, as they look to fight off both Spain and Serbia to reach the knockout stages.
Serbia
In what appears to be a top-heavy group, Serbia will be expected to roll over. The fans may expect this, but Spain and Portugal know better. Serbia can be difficult opponents, playing a very team-orientated game. Teamwork will be the key to Serbia fighting for second place in Group B. This squad does lack talent, which may cost them down the road, but expect to see them fight for every point in every game.
Player to watch—Andrija Živković
Joining Benfica this past summer, Andrija Živković is Serbia’s leading man. Alongside Liverpool midfielder Marko Grujić, Živković will lead Serbia’s upset efforts in what looks like a predicable group. A standout for Serbian side Partizan Belgrade, he was described as the “Serbian Messi” before joining Portuguese power house Benfica. If the exciting midfielder can perform as expected, Serbia have an outside chance of squeaking through. If Serbia do qualify, however, it will likely be down to a surprise collapse from either Portugal or Spain.
FYR Macedonia
Currently standing as 60/1 outsiders, Macedonia arrive with no expectations. This squad lacks the quality to compete, especially in such a tough group. It’s fair to say that even if this team garners a point, fans of The Red Lynx will have to be pleased or at least proud. Their matches against Spain and Portugal could very easily turn into exhibitions if they aren’t careful.
Player to watch—Enis Bardi
Having already played for the Macedonian senior team on six occasions, 21-year-old Enis Bardi is easily this team’s best player. He has scored 12 goals in 29 appearances for his club side Újpest and the talented midfielder will be Macedonia’s only hope of gaining any points.
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