Slovakia vs Spain

p>The 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship kicks off with hosts Slovakia Under-21s taking on Spain Under-21s in Bratislava on Wednesday.

Slovakia are returning to the finals for the first time since 2017, marking their third appearance as an independent nation at the Under-21 Euros. As hosts, they earned automatic qualification. Their debut in 2000 saw them finish fourth, but in 2017, they exited at the group stage despite securing two wins from three games.

Back then, only the group winners advanced to the semi-finals, but the current format allows the top two teams from each group to progress to the quarter-finals, offering Slovakia a better chance at knockout football.

However, Jaroslav Kentos’s squad faces a tough group featuring Spain, Italy, and Romania, and they head into the tournament in poor form, winless in their last five matches (D2, L3), including a recent 2-2 friendly draw against Slovenia.

Spain, by contrast, are seasoned contenders, having clinched the Under-21 title five times. They came close to a sixth crown in 2023, reaching the final but losing 1-0 to England. La Rojita are now making their fifth straight tournament appearance after dominating their qualifying group, winning nine and drawing one of 10 matches.

However, 2025 has been challenging for Santi Denia’s side, who are yet to win this year, with one draw and two losses in their three friendlies, including a 1-0 defeat to Ukraine in their latest warm-up match. Despite this, Spain’s Under-21s have a strong track record, advancing from the group stage in each of their last six tournament appearances.

They started the past two Under-21 Euros impressively, securing 3-0 wins in their opening matches against Slovenia in 2021 and Romania in 2023, which bodes well for their current talented squad.