Following a spectacular start to the UEFA European Under-19 Championship at the weekend, favourites France Under-19s look to put one boot in the semi-finals by beating Romania Under-19s on Tuesday.

The teams meet in the southern Slovakian town of Dunajska Streda, with the Romanians seeking to make up lost ground after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Italy on Group A's opening day.

Match preview

After a delay of two years, the latest edition of the Under-19 Euros got under way on Saturday afternoon, as much-fancied France took on competition hosts Slovakia in the first game of the finals.

Already a goal down inside the first 15 minutes, the Slovakians were simply brushed aside by their French counterparts, as Loum Tchaouna's early strike set the ball rolling.

On a hot afternoon in Trnava, France were two ahead by the break, before ultimately going on to record a crushing 5-0 victory, thanks to braces from Sochaux's Alan Virginius and Parma striker Ange-Yoan Bonny.

Having kicked off the tournament in style, Landry Chauvin's squad now tackle the second of three group fixtures in the space of just seven days, as they set a course for the final, which takes place on July 1.

Champions at Under-19 level on three previous occasions - in 2005, 2010 and in 2016, when Kylian Mbappe featured in the winning side - France once again represent a scout's dream, due to their abundant individual promise.

Les Bleus' next generation have already shown they can perform collectively, too, as following Saturday's success, they have won seven of their eight matches since October.

While the French team is already purring, Romania's ambitions are perhaps a little more prosaic, and there remain two objectives still within their grasp despite a first day defeat.

The top two finishers in both groups of the tournament will not only progress to the semi-finals, but also automatically qualify for the 2023 Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia - along with the winner of a play-off between the third-placed sides in each group.

For that reason, finishing fourth would be the worst of all worlds, so Friday's head to head with Slovakia could prove crucial if Adrian Vasai's boys cannot take anything out of this midweek engagement.

Romania could even have secured a valuable point from their encounter with Italy, who eventually took control of events after a goalless first half, as Tommaso Baldanzi's stunning strike early in the second broke the deadlock.

Luca Andronache restored parity only six minutes later, but the Italians fired back in the 68th minute; consigning the Tricolorii to a third defeat in their last five games - a record which bodes ill for facing down the tournament favourites.

Team News

France coach Landry Chauvin could be tempted to rotate his squad amid a packed schedule - particularly ahead of Friday's clash with Italy. That would see some changes to the starting XI, but a strong side should still be selected as progress from Group A is yet to be assured.

Versatile forward Alan Virginius scored five times in 31 appearances for Ligue 2 outfit Sochaux last season, and is already off the mark in these Euros, while Italy-based striker Ange-Yoan Bonny also bagged a double on the opening day and should start in a front three.

Lens full-back Brayann Pereira impressed on the right flank during the win over Slovakia, while Ousmane Camara captains the team from central defence.

Romania, meanwhile, are expected to persist with their 4-2-3-1 formation, despite losing to Italy on Saturday, with FC U Craiova goalkeeper Robert Popa captaining the side.

Unirea Constanta forward Andreas Chiritoiu's three goals were instrumental in securing qualification, and after drawing a blank last time out, he will hope to find the net in his role as the Tricolorii's lone central striker.

Romania Under-19s possible starting lineup:
Popa; Pirvulescu, Danuleasa, Gergely, Coubis; Pandele, Sirbu; Bodisteanu, Popescu, Andronache; Chiritoiu

France Under-19s possible starting lineup:
Lo-Tutala; Pereira, Camara, Doukoure, Hadjam; Adeline, Bondo, Diouf; Virginius, Bonny, Ben Seghir

We say: Romania Under-19s 1-3 France Under-19s

Possessing a potent forward line, and with plenty of options available on the bench, it will be difficult for Romania to stop France scoring more than once in their second Group A fixture.

Though they will prove a sterner test than the hosts did at the weekend, with an eighth win from nine, the French bandwagon is set to keep on rolling into the semi-finals.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

Written by
Jonathan O'Shea

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