2023 Under-21 EURO: Meet the semi-finalists – Israel vs England, Spain vs Ukraine

Israel face England and Spain take on Ukraine in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship semi-finals on Wednesday to decide which two teams will face off for the title three days later in Batumi, Georgia.

We introduce the contenders playing in Batumi and Bucharest for those final spots.

Israel vs England

Israel

Qualifying Group B runners-up: P10 W6 D1 L3 F19 A10
Play-offs: W1-1agg, 3-1pens vs Republic of Ireland (D1-1a, D0-0h)
Finals Group C runners-up: D1-1 vs Germany (Kutaisi), L0-2 vs England (Kutaisi), W1-0 vs Czechia (Kutaisi)
Quarter-finals: W0-0aet, 4-3pens vs Georgia (Tbilisi)
Finals scorers: Omri Gandelman 1, Dor Turgeman 1
U21 EURO best: Group stage (2007, 2013)
U21 EURO semi-final record: N/A

Did you know?
The only previous times Israel have got to the semi-finals of a UEFA final tournament came at the 1996 U16 EURO, where they lost 1-0 to France, and the 2022 U19 EURO. In the latter competition, they won 2-1 against France and were eventual runners-up with a squad containing several members of their current U21 party, some of whom also took FIFA U-20 World Cup bronze in Argentina last month.

England

Qualifying Group G winners: P10 W8 D1 L1 F26 A7
Finals Group C winners: W2-0 vs Czechia (Batumi), W2-0 vs Israel (Kutaisi), W2-0 vs Germany (Batumi)
Quarter-finals: W1-0 vs Portugal (Kutaisi)
Finals scorers: Anthony Gordon 2, Emile Smith Rowe 2, Cameron Archer 1, Harvey Elliott 1, Jacob Ramsey 1
U21 EURO best: Winners x 2 (1982, 1984)
U21 EURO semi-final record: W3 L6

2017: L2-2aet, 3-4pens vs Germany
2009: W3-3aet, 5-4pens vs Sweden
2007: L1-1aet, 12-13pens vs Netherlands
1988: L4-6agg vs France (L2-4a, D2-2h)
1986: L1-3agg vs Italy (L0-2a, D1-1h)
1984: W3-2agg vs Italy (W3-1h, L0-1a)
1982: W2-1agg vs Scotland (W1-0a, D1-1h)
1980: L1-3agg vs East Germany (L1-2h, L0-1a)
1978: L2-3agg vs Yugoslavia (L1-2a, D1-1h)

Did you know?
England have appeared in every finals tournament since the switch to odd-numbered years in 2007 (nine in total), but they are only in the semi-finals for the second time in their last seven appearances. This is the first time they have ever won even three games in the same U21 EURO final tournament.

Previous finals meetings:
2023 group stage: Israel 0-2 England
2013 group stage: Israel 1-0 England

Spain vs Ukraine

Spain

Qualifying Group C winners: P8 W8 D0 L0 F37 A5
Finals Group B winners: W3-0 vs Romania (Bucharest), W1-0 vs Croatia (Bucharest), D2-2 vs Ukraine (Bucharest)
Quarter-finals: W2-1aet vs Switzerland (Bucharest)
Finals scorers: Abel Ruiz 2, Sergio Gómez 2, Juan Miranda 2, Álex Baena 1, own goal 1
U21 EURO best: Winners x 5 (1986, 1998, 2011, 2013, 2019)
U21 EURO semi-final record: W8 L2

2021: L0-1 vs Portugal
2019: W4-1 vs France
2017: W3-1 vs Italy
2013: W3-0 vs Norway
2011: W3-1aet vs Belarus
1998: W1-0aet vs Norway
1996: W2-1 vs Scotland
1994: L0-2 vs Portugal
1986: W5-4agg vs Hungary (L1-3a, W4-1h)
1984: W3-0agg vs Yugoslavia (W1-0a, W2-0h)

Did you know?
Spain have equalled Italy's record of 12 top-four finishes (in 2000 there was no semi-final round) and hope to break the mark of five titles which they currently share with the Azzurrini. Spain's eight final appearances is already a record.

Ukraine

Qualifying Group H runners-up: P10 W7 D2 L1 F20 A11
Play-offs: W5-3agg vs Slovakia (L2-3a, W3-0h)
Finals Group B runners-up: W2-0 vs Croatia (Bucharest), W1-0 vs Romania (Bucharest), D2-2 vs Spain (Bucharest)
Quarter-finals: W3-1 vs France (Cluj-Napoca)
Finals scorers: Georgiy Sudakov 3, Artem Bondarenko 1, Olexiy Kashchuk 1, Danylo Sikan 1, Bohdan Viunnyk 1, own goal 1
U21 EURO best: Runners-up (2006)
U21 EURO semi-final record: W1 L0

2006: W0-0aet, 5-4pens vs Serbia and Montenegro

Did you know?
Kashchuk and Sikan were both in the Ukraine squad that won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2019.

Previous finals meetings:
2023 group stage Spain 2-2 Ukraine
2011 group stage: Spain 3-0 Ukraine