Portugal vs Netherlands: Euro U-21 Prediction (21.06.2025)

On Saturday, June 21 at 23:00 WIB, the U-21 national teams of Portugal and the Netherlands will face off at the Pod Dubňom Stadium in Žilina in the quarterfinals of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Portugal advanced to this stage as the winner of Group C, edging out France on goal difference. Meanwhile, the Netherlands finished second in Group D, behind Denmark U-21.

Portugal

The key stat for Rui Jorge’s side in the group stage is that they didn’t concede a single goal. They drew 0-0 with France and secured dominant victories over Poland and Georgia with scores of 5-0 and 4-0. Portugal’s defense deserves attention. The center-back duo is Chico Lamba (Arouca) and João Muniz (Sporting). On the flanks are Rodrigo Pinheiro (Famalicão) and Nazinho (Cercle Brugge). Goalkeeper Samuel Soares from Benfica remains a solid presence between the posts.

In attack, the standout performer in all three group matches was 18-year-old Geovany Quenda from Sporting Lisbon. He already has five goal contributions (goals + assists). His form isn’t surprising, as he’s been featuring regularly in the Primeira Liga for Sporting’s first team.

Netherlands

Michael Reiziger’s squad had a more difficult group stage. After two matches, they had only one point, with their quarterfinal hopes hinging on the final game against Ukraine. That decisive match, however, turned out to be one-sided. The Groningen duo, Thom van Bergen and Luciano Valente, performed brilliantly. At the back, Ajax’s 18-year-old wonderkid Jorrel Hato stood out, and NEC Nijmegen’s Robin Roefs made several key saves.

Although they dominated against Finland and Denmark, the Netherlands conceded two goals in each of those matches. Their main issue lies in being too focused on creative attacking play, leaving them exposed to counterattacks.

Stats and Head-to-Head Record

At the U-21 level, these two teams often meet in the Euros or the qualifiers. In the previous tournament in 2023, they drew 1-1 in the group stage.

Prediction

It’s hard to pick a clear winner in this Portugal vs Netherlands clash. Both teams have the ability to surprise. However, given that the Dutch side conceded two goals each against Finland and Denmark, our prediction is for Portugal to score over 1 goal (Portugal individual total over 1).