Portugal vs Belgium facts

Portugal and Belgium face a Matchday 3 decider as they conclude their Group A campaigns at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship at the Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi.

Runners-up two years ago, Portugal are bottom of the section having lost 2-0 to co-hosts Georgia on Matchday 1 before conceding a late equaliser to draw 1-1 against the Netherlands, André Almeida having given them a first-half lead.

Belgium have two points, level with the Netherlands and two behind leaders Georgia, having drawn both games. After an opening 0-0 draw against the Dutch, first-half strikes from Maxim De Cuyper (15) and Largie Ramazani (38) put them in control against Georgia, who hit back in the second period to earn a 2-2 draw with an 87th-minute equaliser.

Belgium will go through if they win, or if they draw and the Netherlands lose to Georgia in the other Matchday 3 game. If both games are drawn, Netherlands and Belgium will be split for second and third place on overall goals scored, then disciplinary points, then coefficients. Netherlands will finish first if they win and Belgium do not; if both win, Netherlands and Belgium will be split for first and second place on overall goal difference, then overall goals scored, then disciplinary points, then coefficients. Belgium could finish first if they win and Georgia do not, with the top two (Belgium and Georgia or Netherlands) in either case decided on overall goal difference, then overall goals scored, then disciplinary points, then coefficients.

Portugal will go through if they win and Georgia avoid defeat.

Previous meetings

This is the sides' sixth competitive U21 contest and a first since their only EURO finals meeting, a 0-0 draw in Groningen in the 2007 group stage.

That was the fourth of their five competitive fixtures to have ended all square, the sole exception a 2-1 Belgium win in La Louvière in October 1979.

Recent call-up Anthony Descotte got Belgium's goal in a 1-1 U20 friendly draw in Charleroi on 19 November last year.

Descotte also opened the scoring as Belgium beat Portugal 2-0 in Famalicão in a U19 friendly on 3 September 2021.

Form guide

Portugal

This is Portugal's tenth appearance in the U21 final tournament; yet to lift the trophy, they were runners-up in 1994 to Italy, 2015 to Sweden and 2021 to Germany. They were also third in 2004.

Portugal have now qualified for four of the last five tournaments, reaching two finals in that time – all under long-serving coach Rui Jorge, who was also a runner-up as a player in 1994.

In 2021 Portugal won their first three games to finish six points clear at the top of Group D and subsequently beat Italy (5-3 aet) in the quarter-finals and Spain (1-0) in the semis only to go down 1-0 to Germany in the final.

In charge since 2010, Jorge oversaw a near-faultless qualifying campaign for the 2023 finals, Portugal winning nine of their ten games and drawing the other to finish ten points clear at the top of Group D.

The Portuguese were top scorers in qualifying with 41 goals, conceding only three.

Portugal also boasted the overall top scorer in qualifying, Gonçalo Ramos's 12 goals five more than any other player. He scored four goals in each of the home games against Liechtenstein (11-0) and Cyprus (6-0) and found the net at least once against all five Group D opponents, although he is not in the final tournament squad.

Portugal's goal on Matchday 2 was the first the Netherlands had conceded in eight Under-21 EURO outings, qualifying included.

The Portuguese are now without a win in three matches at the U21 final tournament (D1 L2), their previous six having all ended in victory. The 2-0 loss to Georgia on Matchday 1 was their joint heaviest defeat at the finals while Almeida's Matchday 2 strike is their only goal in that three-game sequence.

Belgium

This is Belgium's fourth appearance in the U21 final tournament, and a first since 2019, when they lost all three games to finish bottom of Group A behind Spain, Italy and Poland, scoring four goals but conceding eight.

Belgium also bowed out in the group stage on debut in 2002, their best performance coming five years later in the Netherlands where they reached the semi-finals before losing to Serbia.

This time round Jacky Mathijssen's side remained unbeaten to finish first in Group I on 20 points, three ahead of Denmark. Belgium won six of their eight games, scoring 14 goals, conceding only two and keeping six clean sheets.

Belgium were the first of the 14 teams who came through qualifying to book their place at the finals, thanks to a 1-1 draw against Denmark in their penultimate fixture on 29 March 2022.

Loïs Openda was the team's top scorer in qualifying with seven goals, putting him joint second in the overall rankings for the 2023 preliminaries. He scored at least once against all four Group I opponents and is now Belgium's all-time top scorer at U21 level with 13 goals, one more than Kevin Vandenbergh (2003–05).

The draw against the Netherlands ended Belgium's four-game losing run at the U21 final tournament. They remain without a win in seven matches (D3 L4), since defeating Israel 1-0 with a Kevin Mirallas goal on Matchday 2 in 2007.

Links and trivia

Belgium's Matchday 2 draw against Georgia in Tbilisi was watched by 41,887 spectators, a UEFA Under-21 final tournament record.

Has played in Belgium:
Fábio Silva (Anderlecht 2022/23 loan)

Have played together:
Fábio Silva & Zeno Debast (Anderlecht 2022/23)
Samuel Costa & Largie Ramazani (Almería 2020–)

Portugal coach Rui Jorge was in the Porto side that lost 1-0 at Anderlecht in the 1993/94 UEFA Champions League group stage before a 2-0 home win. He came on for the final ten minutes of Portugal's 1-1 friendly draw against Belgium in Charleroi on 23 February 2000.