The 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship reaches its climax on Saturday with Switzerland playing Spain in the final. The Spaniards are sweeping all before them at full international level so can their young counterparts walk away with the trophy this weekend? (Spain 4/7 fav to win Match Betting)
It would be almost unthinkable for a Spanish side not to reach the final of a major tournament at present such is their dominance in the world game.
The senior side are both World Cup and European champions and it is now down to the youngsters to make it a hat-trick of titles.
The Spanish kicked off their campaign with a draw against England but that was just a blip en route to the semi-finals as they beat the Czech Republic 2-0 and took care of the Ukraine 3-0.
Deportivo de La Coruna star Adrian has been on fire for the favourites with two goals against the Czechs, while also bagging the third against Ukraine.
But he reserved his best for the semi-finals with an 89th-minute strike rescuing his side and forcing extra time against Belarus.
The 23-year-old then found the back of the net again and, with Jeffren also on target, they swept into the final to face the Swiss.
Adrian is a prolific goalscorer at international level and will be a key player for Luis Milla’s side as they attempt to claim the title.
Switzerland were even more impressive in the group stage of the event, winning all three of their matches with victories over Denmark, Iceland and Belarus (Swiss 11/4 to win Euro Champs outright).
They also needed extra time to reach the final, with Admir Mehmedi bagging the only goal of the game to set up the clash with Spain.
While Spain have relied on Adrian for their goals, Mehmedi has done the most damage for the Swiss with three strikes, and the Albanian-born hit-man will have to be watched on Saturday.
He was dropped after the first group game but clearly has the bit between his teeth and is looking to help his side secure their first European Championship in Aarhus.
The last time these two sides met at this level was in a play-off for the 2009 tournament in Sweden, which Spain won 4-3 on aggregate, and so Pierluigi Tami’s charges are on something of a revenge mission this time around.
The two sides play contrasting styles of football with Spain content to keep the ball for long periods before attacking with pace and precision to carve open defences, while the Swiss are masters of the counter-attack and are prepared to trust their water-tight defence before launching rapid attacks.
Switzerland have yet to concede a goal in the tournament and, despite being second favourites to win the final, will not be fazed by the prospect of facing the talented Spanish outfit.
Timm Klose will need to marshal his defence to perfection to see off the threat of Adrian and his talented attacking team-mates and the match might resemble a training ground exercise at times, with wave after wave of Spanish attacks thwarted by a resolute rearguard.
The Swiss defence might be able to hold out but the question is, can they find the back of the net when it matters most?
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This weekend sees Europe’s top youngsters get their chance to stake their claim for a move to a big club as the European Under-21 Championships get under way in Denmark with England one of the favorites for the title (England 4/1 to win the Championship).