Under-21 quarter-finals: Portugal vs Netherlands facts

The MŠK Žilina Stadium stages the first UEFA European Under-21 Championship quarter-final as Portugal renew acquaintances with Netherlands.

Rui Jorge's Portugal finished first in Group C, ending level on seven points with a France team against whom they played out a 0-0 draw on Matchday 1 before emphatic wins against Poland (5-0) and Georgia (4-0). Portugal are the only side still to concede in the 2025 tournament, while their nine goals scored was the joint-most in the group stage along with Germany.

Netherlands were second behind Denmark in Group D, collecting four points from their three games. They sealed qualification with a 2-0 Matchday 3 defeat of Ukraine having taken a single point from games against Finland (2-2) and Denmark (1-2).

The winners of this tie will play Spain or holders England in the semi-finals in Bratislava on 25 June.

Previous European U21 Championship meetings

Matches 10
Portugal wins 4
Netherlands wins 2
Draws 4
Portugal goals 18
Netherlands goals 14

The teams shared a 1-1 draw on Matchday 2 of the 2023 finals, a Brian Brobbey goal 12 minutes from time earning the Dutch a point, André Almeida having given Portugal a 20th-minute lead. Portugal went on to finish second in Group A on four points behind Georgia, one place and one point above the eliminated Netherlands.

They were also paired together in 2021 qualifying, each recording a home victory. Two Myron Boadu goals helped the Dutch to a 4-2 win in Doetinchem on 11 October 2019; Fábio Vieira scored in each half as Portugal won 2-1 in Portimão on 18 November the following year, Cody Gakpo's 42nd-minute strike not enough for the Dutch.

Portugal had qualified for the 2015 finals at the Netherlands' expense with a 7-4 aggregate win in an eventful play-off tie. Goals from Sérgio Oliveira and Carlos Mané secured a 2-0 first-leg win in Alkmaar before a 5-4 home win in the Paços de Ferreira return, Ricardo Pereira scoring twice for the home side with Rúben Neves and Bernardo Silva also among the goals. Nathan Aké scored twice for the Netherlands, Wout Weghorst getting their first goal.

The sides' first finals meeting came on Matchday 2 of the 2007 tournament in Netherlands, the hosts winning 2-1 thanks to goals from Ryan Babel and Maceo Rigters; Miguel Veloso replied for Portugal.

The countries' first three U21 qualifying fixtures all ended in draws, Portugal winning the fourth 3-0 in Felgueiras in the 2002 preliminaries.

Myron van Brederode scored the final goal in Netherlands' 3-1 win against Portugal in an Under-19 friendly on 6 October 2021.

Netherlands were 3-2 penalty shoot-out winners against Portugal in an Under-18 friendly on 13 November 2021 despite Ernest Poku missing their first kick.

Kenneth Taylor scored a 90th-minute winner as Netherlands beat Portugal 2-1 in an Under-17 friendly on 10 February 2019.

Form guide

Portugal

The Portuguese are in the knockout rounds for the fifth time since an eight-team final tournament was introduced in 1998.

Portugal are in the quarter-finals for the fifth time. They beat Poland in 1994 (3-1 a, 2-0 h) but lost to Italy at the same stage two years later (1-0 h, 0-2 a) before a 5-3 extra-time win against the Azzurrini in 2021. They went down 0-1 against England in 2023.

This is Portugal's 11th appearance in the U21 final tournament; they were runners-up in 1994 to Italy, 2015 to Sweden and 2021 to Germany. They were also third in 2004.

Portugal have qualified for five of the last six tournaments, reaching two finals in that time – all under long-serving coach Rui Jorge, who was also a runner-up as a player in 1994.

In charge since 2010, Rui Jorge oversaw a near faultless qualifying campaign for the 2025 finals, his team winning nine of their ten Group G games (L1) and scoring 33 goals on their way to finishing five points clear of runners-up Croatia.

Netherlands 

This is Netherlands' fifth quarter-final; their record is W3 L1. They were victorious in the last two, Myron Boadu's 93rd-minute strike earning a 2-1 comeback win against France in 2021; they also beat Romania 2-1 in 1998 and Spain a decade earlier (1-0 a, 2-1 h aet) but lost to Sweden on away goals in 1992 (2-1 h, 0-1 a).

Netherlands have reached the final tournament for the eighth time, although only the fourth since claiming back-to-back titles in 2006 and, as hosts, 2007.

In 2023 a team coached by Erwin van de Looi drew all three games to finish third in Group A behind co-hosts Georgia and Portugal.

That was only the second final tournament in which Netherlands had failed to progress from the group stage and the first since 2000.

Now coached by Michael Reiziger, Netherlands were the first side to qualify for the 2025 finals and finished with the only 100% record, their 30 points leaving them 11 points above Group C runners-up Georgia.

Reiziger's side conceded only three goals, less than any other side.

Noah Ohio was the Jong Oranje's top scorer in qualifying with seven goals.

The Matchday 2 loss to Denmark ended Netherlands' 24-match unbeaten run in U21 EURO qualifying and final tournament matches (W18 D6), since losing 1-2 against Germany in the 2021 semi-finals.

Links and trivia

Has played in Netherlands:
Carlos Forbs (Ajax 2023–24)

Forbs' Ajax team-mates included Devyne Rensch, Jorrel Hato, Anass Salah-Eddine and Kenneth Taylor.

Forbs and Ohio were both part of Manchester City's youth ranks between 2016 and 2019.

Chico Lamba and Ernest Poku both scored as Sporting CP drew 2-2 against AZ Alkmaar in the semi-finals of the 2022/23 UEFA Youth League, the Dutch side winning 4-3 on penalties with Lamba missing Sporting's third kick.