Poland U21 vs. Belgium U21 Betting Tip, Prediction & Odds
The opening game of the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship will be played between Paraguay and slight favourites Belgium.
Poland U21 vs. Belgium U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship
- Mapei Stadium, Reggio Emilia, Italy
- Sunday 16 June
- 17:30 UK Time
Poland U21 vs. Belgium U21 Game Preview
These rivals couldn’t get a worse draw for this tournament as they have Spain and Italy who will likely compete for the top two places in the group. However, they will certainly not give up until the last minute of the group stage and we should expect an interesting tilt between Poland and Belgium.
- Odds above average
- Fair new customer bonus
- Outstanding football betting selection
- Odds above average
- Fair new customer bonus
- Outstanding football betting selection
Poland U21 Team News
It’s a big summer for Polish football after hosting the U20 World Cup. They qualified for the tournament for the first time since 1994 but as one of the teams to qualify through the playoffs, Poland will be seen as one of the weakest sides at the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Poland are without a medal from this tournament and this will be their 7th participation here. Considering they are drawn in a tough group, it will be a miracle to see them advancing to the semi-finals, which would be their first in history. CzesławMichniewicz has a squad that is consisted mainly from players who are playing in the domestic league with the exception of Bartosz Kapustka (Leuven), Karol Świderski (PAOK), BartłomiejDrągowski (Fiorentina), and Dawid Kownacki (Fortuna Dusseldorf).
Kownacki is the top scorer of this generation with ten goals in 14 caps while the rest of the squad combined for just seven goals. The 22-year-old is playing for Dusseldorf on loan from Sampdoria but played in only four games for Fortuna and scored two goals.
Poland U21 Latest Form
Poland suffered a 2-0 loss to Serbia in their final friendly game prior to this tournament. The Poles are frequently inconsistent, even though they are without a loss in eight of their previous ten games.
David Kownacki has scored five goals in his last six U21 appearances and is expected to lead the line on Sunday. Bartosz Kapustka has also impressed for Poland in recent matches and should play an important part in midfield.
Belgium U21 Team News
Just like it’s the case with Poland, Belgium are also without a single medal at UEFA European Under-21 Championships so far and their best result was in 2007 when they made it to the semi-finals. Johan Walem is not as lucky as his colleague from the senior team to have world-class players but he has a few solid individuals who can erupt at this tournament. Dodi Lukebakio, Orel Mangala, Aaron LeyaIseka, and Isaac Mbenza are Belgium’s most important players at the moment.
Belgium squad is basically entirely based at home and playing in domestic Jupiler Pro League but they impressed in the qualifiers, which makes us take them very seriously here. While they’ve been handed a tough group with Spain and Italy, Belgium must not be underestimated. They were almost faultless in the qualifying stage, winning eight of ten matches to make it to the Under-21 Championship.
Belgium U21 Latest Form
Belgium were also beaten in their final test game as they lost 3-0 to France in a friendly. They struggled to find the back of the net against strong France despite having five shots on target. Dodi Lukebakio has been impressive for Belgium lately with three goals in his last four matches. Playing alongside Isaac Mbenza and Aaron LeyaIseka, Lukebakio can be quite dangerous.
Lukebakio is actually Kownacki’s teammate at Fortuna Dusseldorf but he is far more prolific than the Pole, scoring 11 goals in 23 appearances for the German side. Dodi is Watford’s player on loan and if he showcases fine display at this tournament, the Hornets might decide to give him a proper chance in the 2019-20 campaign.
Belgium are entering into this game with seven consecutive competitive wins. Their last four saw them score 13 goals.
Poland U21 vs. Belgium U21 Head to Head
This is the first ever duel between Poland and Belgium at U21 level and although they don’t know much about each other, the fact that Lukebakio and Kownacki played together at Fortuna Dusseldorf could be vital for either side. At least, both coaches will have info about the most dangerous players on the pitch.
Poland U21 vs. Belgium U21 Betting Tip
Despite the fact that Belgium failed to get a win in their last three matches, they were dominant in the qualifying group and finished ahead of Sweden, conceding just five goals in ten games in the process. Poland surprised favoured Portugal in the playoffs but I don’t think they will make another surprise here and that’s why I am going with the Red Devils at 21/20 with 888Sport. Poland failed to score in just two of their previous 14 games while Belgium conceded even nine goals in the last three matches, so I am going with both teams to score at 10/11 with William Hill.
