In the U21 Europa League Group C, England U21s and Israel U21s had a fierce battle. England U21s beat the Czech Republic 3-0 in the first round to take a solid 3-point lead, and have been focusing on solid play in their recent matches, with 4 halftime draws in their last 5 matches. Israel U21s played Germany U21s 1-1 in the last round, with a half-time goal showing strong competitiveness. (Watch the action live on Now 630 at 00:00 Monday morning)
England U21s, one of the favorites to win the championship, showed a good start in the first round of the tournament, with midfielders Jaeger Lance and Imeruwe scoring in the second half to take all three points with a 2-0 win over Czech Republic U21s. England U21s are currently at the top of the table after Germany U21s played Israel U21s 1-1 in the first round of the tournament. A win over Israel in this match would secure progression ahead of their third round clash with Germany U21s. It is expected that England U21s will keep their tentative style of play and try to get all three points in the second half.
Looking back at England U21s' last round of matches, team leader Carsley used a 4-2-2-2 formation, which was effective in forcing the ball up front, with 71% of the ball in possession. England U21's recent style of play has been characterized by steady wins, with 4 half-time draws in their last 5 matches, including a 4-0 win over France U21's at the start of the year, which was also a 0-0 draw at half-time.
The Israeli U21 team has made remarkable achievements in youth training in recent years, reaching the quarterfinals of the U20 World Cup. In the U21 Euro Cup, Israel U21s have also performed well, with a 1-1 halftime draw against defending champions Germany U21s in the first round, and despite having a man sent off with a red card in the match, they still managed to hang on until the end of the game, showing their toughness. Tonight, Israel U21s are expected to draw with England U21s again at halftime.
