Iberian neighbours meet again

An Iberian derby takes centre stage in UEFA European Under-19 Championship Group B on Wednesday, when Spain meet fellow Matchday 1 victors Portugal aiming to "reproduce the type of football we played against Croatia".

La Roja's credentials for a fifth U19 title were given a thorough examination in their opening game of the tournament, Spain falling behind to the disciplined finals debutants before turning the encounter in their favour thanks to second-half goals from Thiago Alcántara and Rodri. Luis Milla is thus hopeful his squad can continue where they off when they play Ilídio Vale's Portugal, though he is aware of the task in hand against a team by whom they were beaten in qualifying.

"We played Portugal in the first phase and it was very even," said Milla of the 1-0 defeat in November. "They have players who are very well known at the back, while they are interesting going forward. We are facing a difficult game. It's a good challenge for us to see if we can reproduce the type of football we played against Croatia."

Vale is also seeking a repeat showing of his side's opener, an impressive 2-0 defeat of Italy in Mondeville. "We stamped our authority on the game by starting quicker and remained balanced throughout − we kept to our identity and were pragmatic at all times," explained Vale, who welcomes Nuno Reis back from suspension. "We'll be going into the game against Spain with the same objective: to try to win. We'll be setting up the team in the same way and will be looking to play our own game."

After winning all six matches en route to Normandy, Croatia experienced a rare sensation on Matchday 1 – defeat. Nonetheless, coach Ivica Grnja is vowing to stick to the approach which served his squad so well in qualifying as they attempt to remain in contention for a semi-final place. "We won't try to change a lot in terms of style against Italy," said Grnja. "We will give our players the task of being as organised as they were in the first half against Spain. We still have two games left and we want to achieve our objective of qualifying for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup."

Having expressed his disappointment at the "naivety" which contributed to Italy's reverse against Portugal, coach Massimo Piscedda is demanding a considerable improvement from the Azzurrini if their hopes of progress are not to be dashed. "It's not over for us; there are two matches left and we're still hoping to get through the group," he stressed. "We have to improve everything against Croatia − physically, technically and psychologically − but we'll look to do that and hope to get a better performance and result." Luca Tremolada returns to the squad after missing the Portugal game because of a ban.