Portugal call for show of strength

'Strongest group'
Both Portugal and England have qualified for the 2007 tournament in the Netherlands this summer but Couceiro believes only one is likely to progress to the 2009 edition from a tight section also including Bulgaria, Republic of Ireland and competition newcomers Montenegro. "This is one of the strongest groups, if not the strongest, as it is the only one that has two teams at the 2007 finals," Couceiro said.

'Favourites'
"Portugal and England are favourites for the top spots in the group. England are very strong but we'll fight for first place because second probably won't be enough to reach the play-offs as one of the best second-placed teams. Bulgaria are also a strong side who have gone far in recent qualifying campaigns. The Republic of Ireland will be a tough opponent and Montenegro will be an interesting outsider."

Bulgaria upbeat
Bulgaria coach Alexander Stankov echoed Couceiro's words, insisting the favourites would not have an easy ride. "I'm looking forward to playing against the likes of England and Portugal," he said. "We usually play well against the strong teams and I'm really optimistic about these qualifiers. We will play game by game and try to finish as high as possible."

Italy-Croatia
The ten group winners will advance to the play-offs where they will be joined by the best four runners-up, vying for one of seven places alongside hosts Sweden in the final tournament. Italy - five-times U21 champions - are up against Croatia, Greece, Albania, Azerbaijan and the Faroe Islands in Group 1 as they aim for a sixth successive finals appearance.

'Difficult'
"We're in the only group with six teams and we'll have to find decent dates to play those two games during a very busy schedule," Azzurrini coach Pierluigi Casiraghi said. "I think our group is quite difficult. We faced Croatia in my first game as U21 coach and I was very excited on my debut. The game ended goalless and I think their team is quite similar to ours. Greece are also tough opponents. They have everything needed to qualify from this group."

Underdogs confident
Bosnia-Herzegovina coach Nikola Nikić, meanwhile, is confident his side can go beyond Group 10 after being pitted with France, Romania, Wales and Malta. "France and Romania are favourites in this group, but we have done very well against these teams at other junior levels and I'm sure today's side can fight equally hard to reach the play-offs," he said. Qualifying commences on 2 June, a week before the start of the 2007 UEFA European U21 Championship, and continues through to October 2008.