Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
The third-round match of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship group stage between Montenegro and Spain will take place on Thursday in Ploiești at the Ilie Oană Stadium. Here’s my tip for the outcome of this clash, featuring solid odds.
Match preview
The Montenegro U19 side kicked off their tournament campaign on a high note: the team confidently passed through two qualifying rounds, defeating the likes of Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina, before topping their elite round group ahead of Poland, Georgia, and Slovakia. However, on the big Euro stage, Radovan Kašćelan’s squad have struggled to match the competition—two consecutive defeats to Romania and Denmark, with a combined score of 1-7, have dashed their playoff hopes.
Montenegro’s play has looked disjointed: a strong start is often followed by late-game collapses. This was especially evident against Romania, where the Montenegrins took an early lead but completely fell apart in the second half. Against Spain, who have already secured a playoff spot, the “Red Falcons” can only hope for a slip-up from their opponents or play for pride.
Spain’s youth team are perennial favorites at any junior tournament, and José Lana’s side are living up to that billing at this Euros. La Furia Roja have already booked their playoff berth, racking up six points from their opening two matches without conceding a single goal. Wins over Denmark and Romania are a testament to their tactical structure, ball control, and smart rotation of the squad.
Even in the elite round, the Spaniards showed poise and squad depth, outpacing France and Italy in a tough group. Now, the match against Montenegro is a chance to rest key players and give opportunities to the next wave. Still, the quality and tempo of Spain’s play remain consistently high, and even a partially rotated lineup is expected to dominate this encounter.
Probable lineups
- Montenegro (U19): Milović – Maraš, Damjanović, Tomašević, Vračar – Vukanić, Savović, Vlahović, Đukanović, Čamađ – Kostić
- Spain (U19): Jiménez – Navas, Cuenca, Martín, Olmedo – Pueyo, Marino Rodríguez, Cordero Campillo, García, Aguirreburualde – Djanne
Match facts and head-to-head
- The last official meeting between these teams was in 2012: Spain won 3-0 in a competitive match and drew 2-2 in a friendly
- Spain have won both of their opening Euro matches without conceding a goal
- Montenegro have lost two consecutive matches, conceding seven goals in the process
Prediction
Spain look vastly superior both in terms of squad quality and tactical organization. Montenegro are already out of contention for the knockout stage and will likely approach this match with little motivation. Given the level of “La Furia Roja,” the most logical bet is Spain to win with a -1.5 handicap, at odds of 1.63.
