2027 Under 21 EURO play-offs: Netherlands, Czechia, Finland win first legs as Greece draw in Iceland
Friday, November 13, 2026
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The Netherlands, Czechia and Finland will all take leads into the second legs while Greece equalised late in a 1-1 draw in Iceland.
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The 2027 UEFA European Under 21 Championship play-offs conclude on Monday and Tuesday after first-leg victories for the Netherlands, Czechia and Finland while Greece drew 1-1 in Iceland.
Final tournament co-hosts Albania and Serbia have so far been joined by the nine qualifying group winners and the runners-up with the best record against the sides first, third, fourth and fifth in their group. The two-legged play-offs involving the other eight group runners-up will decide the last four finalists going into the draw in Belgrade at 18:30 CET on 26 November.
First legs
Friday 13 November:
The Netherlands went ahead on six minutes through Givairo Read's deflected effort, and eight minutes later there was an own goal as Aymen Sliti's cross went in off Lucas Høgsberg.
Thom van Bergen got the third in the 39th minute as he shot in after being set up by Sean Steur's back-heel on the edge of the box. Denmark had chances in the second half but will have a three-goal deficit to overturn in Almere.
Czechia's Vít Škrkoň was played through on goal just before the half-hour but slipped his shot agonisingly past the post. At the other end an Ali Habeşoğlu solo run set up Emirhan İlkhan but his close-rage effort was cleared off the line by Alexandr Bužek.
Early in the second half Bužek forced Deniz Ertaş into a smart save, and the resulting low corner found its way to the edge of the box where Pavel Kačor beat the home goalkeeper with a fizzing first-time shot. And Czechia held out through the second half to ensure a lead to take back to Hradec Králové.
Finland 1-0 Republic of Ireland
Snow in Tampere made conditions testing for the players and the first clear chance arrived 44 minutes in when Finland's Matias Siltanen curled the ball only just off target. Deep in first-half added time, Liam Möller's cross was headed in by Onni Helén, who had been introduced in the 21st minute due to Jimi Tauriainen's injury.
Finland kept up the pressure when the game resumed and Helén twice hit the post amid a flurry of chances, but they could not force a second. Just past the hour mark, Ireland came closest to equalising when substitute Trent Kone-Doherty's cross was headed on to the crossbar by Jamie Mullins and Owen Elding had his follow-up cleared off the line.
Thursday 12 November:
In snowy conditions in Reykjavik, Iceland had the better of the first half, with captain Júlíus Mar Júlíusson testing Greece goalkeeper Dimitrios Monastirlis, who had to be replaced by Nikolaos Botis due to injury just before the hour. Almost immediately, Botis saved a Daníel Gudjohnsen penalty after Agust Orri Thorsteinsson had been fouled.
Iceland finally made their breakthrough with a minute to go, when Hilmir Mikaelsson rose to head in Thorsteinsson's cross from the byline. However, Greece equalised in added time as Antonios Papakanellos' shot through a crowded box deflected in off Mikaelsson.
Second legs
Monday 16 November:
Greece vs Iceland (18:00, first leg: 1-1)
Tuesday 17 November:
Czechia vs Türkiye (17:00, first leg: 1-0)
Netherlands vs Denmark (18:30, first leg: 3-0)
Republic of Ireland vs Finland (18:45, first leg: 0-1)
All times CET
Tie-by-tie guide
Denmark vs Netherlands
Denmark
Qualifying Group I runners-up winners: P8 W4 D3 L1 F15 A6
Qualifying top scorer: Conrad Harder (5)
U21 EURO best: Semi-finals (1992, 2015)
Last U21 EURO: 2025 (quarter-finals)
Did you know?
Denmark are aiming to reach their sixth final tournament in seven editions. They beat the Netherlands 2-1 in the 2025 group stage, though both sides were to go through.
Previous play-offs (W2 L4):
2023: 3-3agg, 4-5pens vs Croatia (1-2 a, 2-1aet h)
2015: 1-1agg, won on away goals vs Iceland (0-0 h, 1-1 a)
2013: 1-8agg vs Spain (0-5 a, 1-3 h)
2009: 0-2agg vs Serbia (0-1 h, 0-1 a)
2006: 4-1agg vs Russia (1-0 a, 3-1 h)
2004: 1-1agg, lost on away goals vs Italy (1-1 h, 0-0 a)
Netherlands
Qualifying Group G runners-up: P8 W3 D3 L2 F15 A10
Qualifying top scorer: Ernest Poku (4)
U21 EURO best: Winners x 2 (2006, 2007)
Last U21 EURO: 2025 (semi-finals)
Did you know?
Several members of the Netherlands' qualifying squad were part of their 2025 U19 EURO triumph. The Netherlands drew 1-1 with Denmark in the 2006 group stage on their way to the title.
Previous play-offs (W3 L3):
2015: 4-7agg vs Portugal (0-2 h, 4-5 a)
2013: 4-0agg vs Slovakia (2-0 a, 2-0 h)
2011: 3-3agg, lost on away goals vs Ukraine (1-3 h, 2-0 a)
2006: 2-0agg vs Slovenia (0-0 a, 2-0 h)
2002: 2-3agg vs England (2-2 h, 0-1 a)
2000: 4-2agg vs Belgium (2-2 h, 2-0 a)
Iceland vs Greece
Iceland
Qualifying Group C runners-up: P10 W5 D3 L2 F22 A11
Qualifying top scorer: Daníel Gudjohnsen (7)
U21 EURO best: Group stage (2011, 2021)
Last U21 EURO: 2021 (group stage)
Did you know?
Qualifying top scorer Daníel Gudjohnsen is the son of Eidur Gudjohnsen, while brother Sveinn Aron Gudjohnsen was part of Iceland's 2021 U21 finals squad.
Previous play-offs (W1 L2):
2023: 1-2agg vs Czechia (1-2 h, 0-0 a)
2015: 1-1agg, lost on away goals vs Denmark (0-0 a, 1-1 h)
2011: 4-2agg vs Scotland (2-1 h, 2-1 a)
Greece
Qualifying Group F runners-up: P10 W9 D0 L1 F29 A6
Qualifying top scorer: Georgios Koutsias (5)
U21 EURO best: Runners-up (1988, 1998)
Last U21 EURO: 2002 (group stage)
Did you know?
Greece missed out on being the best runners-up by a single goal. The last time Greece played in the final tournament, 2002, four members of the squad – Angelos Charisteas, Konstantinos Katsouranis, Dimitrios Papadopoulos and Georgios Seitaridis – went on to be part of their UEFA EURO 2004-winning selection in Portugal, alongside 1998 U21 EURO runners-up Angelis Basinas, Traianos Dellas, Ioannis Goumas, Georgios Karagounis and Vasilis Lakis.
Previous play-offs (W2 L3):
2019: 0-2agg vs Austria (0-1 h, 0-1 a)
2011: 0-5agg vs Czechia (0-3 a, 0-2 h)
2002: 4-2agg vs Türkiye (3-0 h, 1-2 a)
2000: 1-3agg vs Czechia (0-3 a, 1-0 h)
1998: 4-4agg, won on away goals vs England (2-0 h, 2-4 a)
Finland vs Republic of Ireland
Finland
Qualifying Group A runners-up: P10 W7 D2 L1 F34 A7
Qualifying top scorer: Marius Söderbäck (5)
U21 EURO best: Group stage (2009, 2025)
Last U21 EURO: 2025 (group stage)
Did you know?
Having only qualified once prior to 2023–25, Finland are now aiming to reach a second successive finals.
Previous play-offs (W2 L0):
2025: 6-3agg vs Norway (5-1 h, 1-2 a)
2009: 3-3agg, 4-2pens vs Austria (1-2 a, 2-1aet h)
Republic of Ireland
Qualifying Group D runners-up: P10 W6 D2 L2 F16 A14
Qualifying top scorer: Thomas Lonergan (4)
U21 EURO best: Never previously qualified
Did you know?
Wins against Slovakia, Kazakhstan and holders England in the final set of qualifying games took Ireland into the play-offs for only the second time.
Previous play-offs (W0 L1):
2023: 1-1agg, 1-3pens vs Israel (1-1 h, 0-0aet a)
Türkiye vs Czechia
Türkiye
Qualifying Group H runners-up: P8 W3 D4 L1 F9 A8
Qualifying top scorers: Ali Habeşoğlu, Emirhan İlkhan (3)
U21 EURO best: Group stage (2000)
Last U21 EURO: 2000 (group stage)
Did you know?
Türkiye's squad for their previous qualification in 2000 included nine future senior internationals, including UEFA EURO 2028 semi-finalist Nihat Kahveci.
Previous play-offs (W1 L3):
2009: 1-2 vs Belarus (1-0 h, 0-2 a)
2004: 1-2agg vs Germany (0-1 a, 1-1 h)
2002: 2-4agg vs Greece (0-3 a, 2-1 h)
2000: 2-2agg, won on away goals vs Poland (1-2 a, 1-0 h)
Czechia
Qualifying Group B runners-up: P10 W5 D3 L2 F17 A6
Qualifying top scorer: Lukáš Mašek (5)
U21 EURO best: Winners (2002)
Last U21 EURO: 2025 (group stage)
Did you know?
Petr Čech was Czechia's final penalty shoot-out hero against France for their sole U21 EURO title in Switzerland in 2002. They are involved in the play-offs for a record tenth time.
Previous play-offs (W6 L3):
2025: 3-1agg vs Belgium (2-0 a, 1-1 h)
2023: 2-1agg vs Iceland (2-1 a, 0-0 h)
2013: 2-4agg vs Russia (0-2 h, 2-2 a)
2011: 5-0agg vs Greece (3-0 h, 2-0 a)
2007: 3-2agg vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (2-1 h, 1-1 a)
2006: 0-3agg vs Germany (0-2 h, 0-1 a)
2004: 3-3agg, 3-4pens vs Switzerland (2-1 a, 1-2aet h)
2002: 1-1agg, won on away goals vs Croatia (1-1 a, 0-0 h)
2000: 3-1agg vs Greece (3-0 h, 0-1 a)
Who has qualified for the final tournament so far?
Albania (co-hosts), Belgium, Croatia, England (holders), France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Poland (best runners-up), Portugal, Serbia (co-hosts), Spain