England Under-21s

England Under-21s kicked off their European Championship campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw with favourites Spain on Sunday. Now they must do better when they meet the Ukraine on Tuesday as they look to progress in the tournament (England 3/4, Ukraine 16/5 – match odds).

Boss Stuart Pearce would probably have taken a draw against the Spanish if he’d have been offered it beforehand but, after being outplayed for large parts of the game, he would not have been happy with the overall performance.

Danny Welbeck, who is a good bet at 11/8 to score anytime on Wednesday, gave the Young Lions what could turn out to be a valuable point with his late goal on Sunday, but England must now aim for all three on Wednesday as they look to stamp their mark on a competition that, it’s fair to say, has yet to set pulses rating.

The more established Premier League players, like Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge, Liverpool new-boy Jordan Henderson and recent Manchester United signing Phil Jones, need to show why they are rated so highly and get football fans, currently without much to watch, back in front of the telly and cheering them on.

And they should certainly have too much for Ukraine in midweek if they play anywhere near their potential.

Pearce could make a few changes but is more than likely set to stick with the players who earned a draw in the opener as he keeps faith in his side (England 23/20 to win Group B).

There are only four teams in each of the two groups in the competition so Pearce knows a defeat is likely to signal the end of the summer jaunt to Denmark for the youngsters ahead of a final Group B game to come against Czech Republic.

With that in mind, expect a much more robust display from England – and a victory (Go for a morale-boosting 4-0 win at 25/1).

Ukraine have a hard-working squad but it’s bereft of stars and England, with plenty of Premier League experience throughout, should come out on top. Pavlo Yakovenko’s side lost 2-1 in their first game to the Czechs and will know a defeat means their tournament is over so they cannot be underestimated in what is set to be a competitive clash.

However, after being given a lesson at times by the Spanish on ball possession, this should be England’s turn to dominate the opposition and a chance to kick-start a bid for glory in Denmark.

Pearce will hope so otherwise he could quickly find himself out of a job, never mind out of the tournament.

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