Finland was really good in the qualifications, but they lost their best player Leo Walta a few days ago to sickness, and another key player played against Poland last night in Helsinki.

As much as I like the Finland U21 team, this is an opponent way too good this time.

Netherlands (rank 2nd):

Player to Watch: Jorrel Hato (Ajax)

Only 19 years old, Hato has secured his spot on Ajax’s left flank over the past two seasons and has even showcased his skills in the senior national team. Known for his precise passing and strong dueling ability, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him play as a center-back for the U21 squad as well. Transfer rumors linking him to Premier League giants like Liverpool are already heating up ahead of the Euros, where Hato will be one of the tournament’s most closely watched players.

The Netherlands dominated their qualifying group, winning all ten matches and conceding only three goals — a strong testament to their quality. The Dutch squad is mainly composed of key players from Eredivisie’s top teams, along with some standout individuals from leading European clubs such as Ian Maatsen (Aston Villa) and Davy Rensch (AS Roma). First-choice goalkeeper Owusu-Oduro (AZ Alkmaar) also has Europa League experience besides Eredivisie appearances.

The Dutch team is experienced and high-quality, hardly falling short even compared to Spain, which is ranked just ahead of them. Their game emphasizes utilizing the wings, with Maatsen’s addition providing exceptional quality at this level. The Netherlands is the undisputed favorite in the group, and after a likely group victory, they have the potential to go far into the knockout stages to win the whole thing!

Finland (rank 14th)

Player to Watch: Topi Keskinen

Last summer’s move from HJK to Scottish Premiership club Aberdeen has proven to be just the right step for the 22-year-old winger’s career. Keskinen has regularly featured for Aberdeen, repaying the coaching staff’s trust with strong performances, including five league goals. Winning the Scottish Cup crowned his first season at Aberdeen.

Finland secured their spot in the final tournament by finishing second in their qualifying group and decisively beating the pre-tournament favorite Norway 7–2 on aggregate in the playoff. The Finnish U21 team’s quick counterattacks and efficient use of scoring areas have troubled even high-quality opponents. Their goal defense also functioned well, but the absence of key defender Tony Miettinen is a significant loss, especially in set-piece situations and defending large spaces. Newly called-up Matti Peltola (DC United) is a welcome addition but does not directly replace Miettinen’s profile.

Lucas Bergström (Chelsea), who performed strongly in qualifying, is the last defensive barrier. The team’s tactical backbone is a strong central axis led by players like Santeri Väänänen (Rosenborg) and Luka Hyryläinen (SSV Ulm). The pace and technical skill of the forward line rely on experienced club players Topi Keskinen (Aberdeen) and Naatan Skyttä (USL Dunkerque). Qualifying’s top scorer Otso Liimatta (Famalicão) has had a modest role at his club but remains a dangerous and hard-to-defend threat for the national side.

The Finnish U21 team enters the finals as clear underdogs, although their qualifying campaign exceeded expectations. Their strong playing identity and team unity offer clear competitive advantages against many bigger nations, but the limited player pool becomes more evident in a high-level final tournament. The March friendlies against Georgia and Slovenia were good benchmarks of the team’s level, with the 2–4 loss to a star-depleted Georgia revealing vulnerabilities they cannot afford against group opponents like the Netherlands, Denmark, and Ukraine.

芬兰队在预选赛中表现非常出色，但他们几天前因病失去了最好的球员沃尔塔，另一名关键球员昨晚在赫尔辛基与波兰队比赛。

虽然我很喜欢芬兰U21队，但这次的对手太厉害了。

荷兰（排名第2）：

值得关注的球员：乔雷尔·哈托（阿贾克斯）

年仅19岁的哈托已经在过去的两个赛季中占据了他在阿贾克斯左路的位置，甚至还在国家队中展示了他的技术。他以精准的传球和强大的对抗能力而闻名，看到他在U21国家队担任中后卫也不足为奇。在欧洲杯之前，有关他与利物浦等英超豪门的转会传闻已经愈演愈烈，哈托将成为欧洲杯最受关注的球员之一。

荷兰队在预选赛小组中占据主导地位，10场比赛全胜，只丢了3球——这是他们实力的有力证明。荷兰队的阵容主要由来自荷甲顶级球队的关键球员组成，还有一些来自欧洲顶级俱乐部的杰出球员，如伊恩·马森（阿斯顿维拉）和戴维·伦施（罗马）。主力门将奥乌苏-奥杜罗（阿尔克马尔）除了在荷甲出场外，还拥有欧联杯的经验。

荷兰队经验丰富，素质高，即使与排名在他们前面的西班牙队相比，也不会差。他们的比赛强调利用边路，马森的加入提供了这个级别的卓越质量。荷兰队是小组中无可争议的热门球队，在一场可能的小组胜利之后，他们有可能进入淘汰赛阶段，赢得整个比赛！

芬兰（排名第14）

值得关注的球员：Topi Keskinen

去年夏天，这位22岁的边锋从香港皇家大学转会到苏格兰联赛俱乐部阿伯丁，这证明了他职业生涯中正确的一步。凯斯基宁经常为阿伯丁效力，他用强劲的表现回报了教练组的信任，其中包括5个联赛进球。赢得苏格兰杯是他在阿伯丁的第一个赛季。

芬兰队在预选赛小组中获得第二名，并在季后赛中以总比分7-2决定性地击败了预选赛热门挪威队，确保了自己的出线资格。芬兰U21队的快速反击和对得分区域的有效利用，甚至让高水平的对手也感到困扰。他们的球门防守也运转良好，但缺少关键后卫米耶蒂宁是一个重大损失，特别是在定位球和防守大空间的情况下。新征召的佩尔托拉（DC联队）是一个受欢迎的补充，但不会直接取代米耶蒂宁。

在预选赛中表现出色的卢卡斯Bergström（切尔西）是最后一道防线。球队的战术支柱是由桑特里Väänänen（罗森伯格）和卢卡Hyryläinen（乌尔姆）等球员领导的强大中轴线。锋线的速度和技术依靠经验丰富的俱乐部球员托皮·凯斯基宁（阿伯丁）和纳坦Skyttä（敦刻尔克）。预选赛的头号射手Otso Liimatta （famalic.com）在他的俱乐部中扮演了一个不起眼的角色，但对国家队来说仍然是一个危险的、难以防守的威胁。

尽管芬兰U21国家队在预选赛中的表现超出了预期，但他们进入决赛时明显处于劣势。他们强大的球员身份和团队团结为他们在与许多大国的比赛中提供了明显的竞争优势，但在高水平的决赛中，有限的球员群体变得更加明显。3月份对格鲁吉亚和斯洛文尼亚的友谊赛是球队水平的良好基准，2-4输给球星枯竭的格鲁吉亚暴露出他们在面对荷兰、丹麦和乌克兰等小组对手时无法承受的弱点。