The match between Romania U21 and Albania U21 in Group E of the preliminary tournament of the European Youth Championship in Slovakia is scheduled for Friday, November 17 at 20:30 at the Giuleşti Stadium in Bucharest and will be broadcast live on Pro Arena. .

Romania U21 have a chance to get revenge in the second leg against Albania U21 after losing 2-3 in the tour, leading 2-0.

Group E, in addition to Romania U21 (six points from three matches) and Albania U21 (nine points from four matches), includes Switzerland U21 (seven points from three matches), Finland U21 (three points from three matches), Montenegro U21 (three points from three matches) and Armenia U21 (one point from four matches).

From the nine previous groups, the first-placed teams, as well as the three best teams from the 2nd places, qualify directly; six teams remain from the 2nd places, who will play a two-legged play-off for three of them to qualify for Euro 2025 (the 15 qualified are joined by the host nation Slovakia U21).

Romania U21 is currently in 3rd place with six points, but after losing to Albania U21 (2-3), they beat the weakest teams in the group, Armenia U21 (2-0) and Finland U21 (1-0). ), each time in the home arena (on November 21 they will play away against Switzerland U21, the only unbeaten team in the group).

“I am sure that there will be two finals. We are not thinking about the second game yet. All our attention is focused on the match against Albania U21. It sounds weird, but I think the order in this group will be decided in the final games. If we win, our path to the first two places would be much easier,” said Daniel Pancu, Romania U21 national team.

The tricolors have participated in the final tournaments four times – in 1998, 2019, 2021 and 2023, the best result – in Italy and San Marino (2019), when they reached the semi-finals (2-4 with Germany).

Albania U21 leads the group with nine points, two more than Switzerland U21, who, however, have a less controversial match, after three wins and a loss, 2-1 with Armenia U21 (d), 3-2 with Romania U21 (a), 1-4 with Finland U21 (d) and 2-0 with Montenegro U21 (a).

The national team, coached by Alban Bouchi, only participated in the final tournament of Euro 1984, when they were eliminated by Italy in the quarter-finals after a double score of 0-1 (played under a bilateral system).

Probable teams

Romania U21: Sava – Pantea, M. Ilie, Ignat, Amzăr – Corbu, Vulturar, Grameni – Ad. Mazil, L. Muntyan, October. Popescu

Albania U21: Lilo – Smiley, Dayko, Bayrami, Budjelai – Shabani, Berisha, Redzepi – Payaziti, S. Shpendi, Nikay.

Superbet offers odds of 1.65 on prediction 1: victory of the home team in the match Romania – Albania.

* the tariff is valid at the time of publication of the article