Luis Torres
Dailysports's expert
On 15 June 2025, in the second round of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship group stage, Finland U-21 will face off against Ukraine U-21. The match is scheduled to kick off at 18:00 Central European Time. Let’s break down the odds and look at the best bet for this encounter.
Finland U-21
Despite being labelled as Group D underdogs, Finland’s U-21 squad proved in their Euro opener that their presence in the tournament’s main draw is no fluke. Returning to the European Championship for the first time since 2009 and qualifying via the play-offs—where they stunned Norway—the Finns made a commendable start against the formidable Netherlands.
Although the “Oranje” haven’t lost an official match since 2021 and dominated possession, Finland played on the counter and made the most of their opportunities. In the first half, they launched two dangerous attacks and found the net twice within three minutes. In the second half, the Finns heroically withstood the favourite’s pressure, but in the dying minutes, the Netherlands managed to equalise.
Despite letting the win slip away, the result stands as a major achievement for Finland—the team picked up a crucial point and left a lasting impression with their committed performance.
Ukraine U-21
Ukraine’s U-21s, semi-finalists at the previous European Championship, cruised through qualifying, picking up 24 points from 10 matches and finishing just behind England in their group. Thanks to the best record among all second-placed teams, Ukraine earned direct passage to the Euro finals.
In their opening match, Ukraine faced Denmark and took the lead in the first half. However, the Danes equalised after the break, both sides traded goals, and in the end, Denmark snatched a 3-2 victory. This result complicates Ukraine’s tournament prospects, especially with a final group match looming against the Netherlands, who unexpectedly dropped points in round one. Now, Ukraine must secure points against Finland—a team that surprised everyone by holding the Dutch to a draw. The Finns will be brimming with confidence after that result and will undoubtedly fight for the win.
Nevertheless, the head-to-head record favours Ukraine: in four previous Euro qualifiers between the sides, there was one draw, one win for Finland, and two victories for Ukraine. This could provide a psychological edge for the Ukrainians going into this clash.
Probable lineups
- Finland U-21: Bergström, Julitolve, Koski, Jansson, Galvez, Hyryläinen, Väänänen, Markiev, Keskinen, Terho, Skyttä.
- Ukraine U-21: Neshcheret, Roman, Kozyk, Batagov, Vivcharenko, Ocheretko, Brazhko, Rubchynskyi, Bragaru, Vanat, Voloshyn.
Key facts and head-to-head
- Finland U-21 have failed to win 3 of their last 4 matches.
- The last 5 Finland U-21 matches have featured over 2.5 goals.
- Ukraine U-21 have failed to win 7 of their last 8 games.
- Both teams have scored in 5 of Ukraine U-21’s last 6 matches.
- Ukraine U-21 are unbeaten in 4 of their last 5 head-to-head meetings with Finland U-21.
Prediction for Finland U-21 vs Ukraine U-21
Despite a disappointing result in their opening match and Finland’s spirited display against the Netherlands, Ukraine U-21 enter this fixture as favourites. The Ukrainians boast greater international experience, breezed through qualifying, and will be fighting for their last shot at advancing from the group. Motivated to bounce back from the defeat to Denmark, Ukraine appear to have the edge—even if this promises to be a hard-fought contest. My bet for this match is a Ukraine U-21 victory at odds of 1.87.
