Under-21 Group A: Slovakia vs Spain facts

The 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship kicks off at the National Football Stadium in Bratislava as hosts Slovakia take on five-time winners Spain.

This Group A opener brings together a Slovakia side making just their third finals appearance – and a first since 2017 – against a Spain team who were runners-up two years ago, the fifth time they had reached the final in the last seven tournaments.

Italy and Romania complete the Group A line-up.

Previous European U21 Championship meetings

Matches 8
Slovakia wins 0
Spain wins 7
Draws 1
Slovakia goals 12
Spain goals 25

Slovakia were victorious in their last game against Spain, a goal in each half from Timotej Jambor and Adrián Kaprálik earning a 2-0 away friendly success in Jerez on 21 March 2024.

Spain, however, have dominated the sides' eight competitive meetings, winning the last seven – including both in qualifying for the 2023 finals. Penalties in the final ten minutes from Sergio Gómez and Juan Miranda earned a 3-2 comeback victory in Seville on 8 October 2021 and it was the same scoreline in Zilina on 29 March 2022, Robert Navarro getting the decisive goal.

That made it 19 goals in Spain's last five European U21 Championship games against Slovakia. Mikel Merino, Mikel Oyarzabal, Rodri and Dani Ceballos were all on target in a 4-1 away victory in 2019 qualifying, Ceballos hitting a hat-trick in Spain's subsequent 5-1 home win.

David Silva got the final goal in a 4-2 home win for Spain in the 2007 qualifying competition.

A 1-1 draw in Gran Canaria in the sides' first meeting, in November 2006, is the only occasion in which Slovakia have avoided defeat in their competitive fixtures against Spain.

This is the teams' second meeting in the final tournament; a goal from Jordi Ferrón gave Spain a 1-0 win in the 2000 third-place play-off.

Form guide

Slovakia

This is Slovakia's third appearance in the finals – they are the first country to host the tournament twice since a group stage was introduced in 2000.

Fourth as hosts on debut in 2000 – losing 1-0 to Spain in that third-place play-off – Slovakia had to wait until 2017 for the second appearance, failing to progress from Group A despite ending as section runners-up behind England having won two of their three games.

Slovakia lost 5-3 on aggregate to Ukraine in the 2023 play-offs (3-2 h, 0-3 a) having finished second to Spain in their qualifying section.

Coach Jaroslav Kentoš has been in charge of Slovakia since 2019.

Spain

The joint most successful side in European U21 Championship history with five titles, level with Italy, Spain are in the final tournament for the 12th time overall and the eighth in nine editions, failing to qualify only in 2015 during that sequence.

La Rojita have been champions in three of the last seven tournaments – 2011, 2013 and 2019 – and have reached the semi-finals or better in each of the last four. They have not failed to progress from their group since 2009.

Two years ago, a side coached by Santi Denia – who had succeeded Luis de la Fuente in December 2022 – finished top of Group B before beating Switzerland (2-1 aet) and Ukraine (5-1) only to lose 1-0 to England in the final, captain Abel Ruiz having a penalty saved nine minutes into added time.

This time round Denia's side won nine of their ten qualifiers (D1), scoring 28 goals and conceding only five, to finish nine points above runners-up Belgium at the top of Group B.

Samu Omorodion was Spain's top scorer in qualifying with six goals.

Links and trivia

Have played in Spain:
Sebastian Kóša (Real Zaragoza 2024–)
Martin Šviderský (Almería 2022–, Murcia 2024 loan)

Marc Pubill and Šviderský are both Almería players, although the latter is yet to make a senior appearance.