Israel U21 vs. England U21: Preview and betting tips

A recap of the second round of the group stage with the fight for the final. England’s U21s will take on Israel on Wednesday and will try to repeat their 2-0 triumph from a week ago. What to expect from the game and what to bet on?

Israel are having a bit of a rollercoaster ride at the tournament. It has earned a draw against Germany, lost to England and beat the Czech Republic with a late goal to advance out of the group. They were not the better team in the quarter-finals, yet they knocked out Georgia after a penalty shoot-out.

England have been absolutely dominant so far, sailing through the tournament with a clear 7-0 record. After three 2: 0 victories in the group against Czech Republic, Israel and Germany, they took on one of the tournament’s favourites, Portugal, in the quarter-finals.

Israel’s key figures

The visitors rely on two 19-year-olds. Dor Turgeman’s intervention decided the draw with Germany, he is a Maccabi Tel Aviv killer. Salzburg’s left wing Oscar Gloukh assisted on both of the team’s goals in the tournament.

England’s key figures

A pair of men threatened from the backline, Anthony Gordon hit the group and decided the quarter-final match. Morgan Gibbs-White, meanwhile, is the assist king, having passed twice in the group, adding a third against Portugal.

Israel are not shining statistically, having beaten only one of their last eight opponents – the Czech Republic – in regulation time. At the same time, it has scored only five times in the past nine games, coming up completely empty four times.

England, on the other hand, is the only team that has not scored so far in the tournament. It has kept scorers like Youssef Moukok and Pedro Neto at bay. In the last seven games, they have only scored against the Croatians.

Considering Israel’s offensive woes, England’s excellent defensive performance and the clear-cut nature of the group matches, I think the favourite will win with a clean sheet.

Source: UEFA