Wednesday 007 European Youth Championship: Portugal U21VS France U21, the passionate collision of youth storm

At 3 a.m. on June 12, the first round of the 2025 U21 European Youth Championship group stage will usher in a focus battle, with Portugal U21 and France U21 going to compete fiercely at the Trenchi Arena in Slovakia. This game is not only the first appearance of the two youth troops in this event, but also a youth feast that brings together future stars in European football.

Quotation performance: Portugal's dominance is fully demonstrated, France has made steady progress to the qualifying stage

Portugal U21 showed strong dominance in the qualifying stage and easily advanced to the main game with an impressive record of 9 wins and 1 loss. In these 10 games, the team opened fire with 33 goals, with an average of 3.3 goals per game, and its offensive firepower was very terrifying; while only conceded 6 goals on the defensive end, conceded 0.6 goals per game, and its defense performance was extremely stable, making it one of the best teams in the entire qualifiers stage. Such impressive data fully demonstrates the profound youth training background and strong team strength of Portugal U21. In contrast, although the French U21's performance in the qualifiers is not as dazzling as the Portuguese U21, ranking second in the group with a record of 5 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses, they also showed strong competitiveness. When facing many strong opponents, the French U21 was able to score points in key games with excellent tactical execution and player performance, and finally successfully obtained the ticket to the main game.

Recent status: Portugal suffered a setback in the friendly match, and France performed well in the warm-up match.

entered the preparation stage for the main match, but the status of the two teams showed different trends. Portugal U21 has been in poor form in recent friendly matches, losing to Romania U21 and England U21 in a row. In these two losses, the team exposed the problems of insufficient stability of the defense line and poor sustainability of tactical execution when facing high-intensity opponents. Especially the defense line, when facing the opponent's sharp attack, there were many loopholes, resulting in conceding goals.

In contrast, the French U21 has been in extremely hot shape in the recent warm-up match. They defeated Uzbekistan U21, Slovakia U21 and England U21 in succession, achieving three consecutive victories. In these games, the French U21 played smooth cooperation and efficient offense, with multiple points blooming on the offensive end and a high level on the defensive end. The players are full of confidence and morale.

Lineup situation: Portugal relies on new stars in offense, France has the advantage in lineup depth

Portugal U21 This roster has suffered some losses, the top scorer in the qualifiers, Mao Silva withdrew due to injury, and central defender Quaresma is also absent due to personal reasons. On the offensive end, the team now relies more on the performance of Sporting Lisbon winger Geovany Quenda and Benfica striker Pedro Santos. With his outstanding breakthrough ability, Kunda often creates threats in offense; Santos has a keen sense of smell in front of the goal and has a strong ability to seize opportunities. However, the Portuguese U21, which has a younger lineup, has certain hidden dangers on the defensive end and needs to be paid special attention during the game.

France U21 also suffered a blow before the game, with Frankfurt striker Ekitic (back pain) and Stuttgart midfielder Milo (family reasons) withdrawing from the roster. But the team urgently called on Monaco midfielder Magassa and Rennes midfielder Djai Cissé. Magasa has performed well in the club, has delicate skills and strong defensive coverage, and is expected to play a key role in the midfield; Dejay Cise's active running and fighting can also effectively alleviate the pressure on the midfield. Overall, despite personnel changes in France's U21, the lineup is still considerable.

Tactical style: Portugal emphasizes wing and ball control, France focuses on ball control and pressing

tactical level, Portugal's U21 head coach Rui Joe tends to be 4-3-1-2 formation, emphasizing breakthroughs on the wing and ball control in the midfield. Right back Djaló's assists are one of the team's important offensive methods. He can often play wonderful cooperation with his teammates on the right to create opportunities for the front line. However, there are hidden dangers in the team's left-side defense, such as Tavarez occasionally has loopholes in defense, which is easy to be targeted by the opponent.

French U21 continues the tradition of Gaul roosters, focusing on ball control and high-pressing tactics. The midfield is led by Aouar and Odobel, who have excellent passing and ball control and are able to control the rhythm of the game with great strength. The forward line relies on the speed and finishing ability of Tottenham star Tel. Terl is extremely fast in offense and can often use his personal abilities to break through the defense and create threats. In the qualifiers, France U21 averaged over 60% of the ball possession rate, showing a strong ball possession advantage.

Historical Confrontation: France has a slight advantage, and the game is unpredictable.

Looking back on the historical confrontation between the two teams, in the last 5 encounters in various competitions, France U21 achieved a slight advantage. In a 2014 confrontation, France U21 won 2-1. However, football matches are full of uncertainty, and past results can only be used as a reference. In this game, Portugal U21 will inevitably be eager to rewrite history and strive to win.

Overall, the French U21 is better in lineup depth, recent warm-up form and psychological advantages in past confrontations, but the Portuguese U21 is by no means a weak team. Their outstanding performance in the qualifiers and the enthusiasm of young players in the team should not be underestimated. This game is very likely to be a goal battle, and both sides have the opportunity to score goals in the game. Is it the French U21 that continued its good form in the warm-up match and won its first victory, or is the Portuguese U21 breaking out in adversity and staged a good counterattack? Let us look forward to this passionate collision of youth storm and witness the shining moments of future stars in European football.