Spain vs Switzerland facts

There is a repeat of the 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship final in the 2023 quarter-finals as Spain take on Switzerland at Bucharest's Giulești Stadium.

Five-time winners Spain – who have reached the final in four of the last six tournaments – sealed a fourth successive appearance in the knockout rounds by holding off Ukraine to finish top of Group B, while Switzerland qualified as Group D runners-up in a three-way head-to-head despite losing their last two matches.

While this is Spain's eighth appearance in the knockout stages since the final tournament was introduced in 1998, it is only a third for the Swiss – and a first since losing to Spain in the final 12 years ago.

Previous meetings

The sides met in an Almería friendly on 24 March this year, Spain winning an entertaining encounter 3-2. Dan Ndoye gave Switzerland an eighth-minute lead, Rodri Sánchez levelling for Spain a minute before half-time only for Kastriot Imeri to restore the visitors' advantage from the penalty spot three minutes past the hour. Spain's Rodrigo Riquelme, a 65th-minute substitute, proved the decisive figure, however, scoring in the 76th and 81st minutes.

A late goal in each half from Ander Herrera (41) and Thiago Alcántara (81) gave Spain a 2-0 win at Denmark's Aarhus Stadium in the U21 final on 25 June 2011, and their third European title at this level. David de Gea, Javi Martínez, Juan Mata and Iker Muniain were also in the Spain side led by Luis Milla with Yann Sommer, Fabian Frei, Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka featuring for Pierluigi Tami's Switzerland.

The teams were also paired together in the 2013 qualifying competition, first-half goals from Muniain (8), Thiago (26pen) and Marc Bartra (45+1) giving Spain a 3-0 victory in Córdoba on 14 November 2011.

The return game in Sion – the teams' last meeting before this year's friendly – finished goalless as Spain finished top of Group 5 on 22 points, five more than runners-up Switzerland; while Spain went on to beat Denmark 8-1 over two legs in the play-offs and ultimately retain the trophy, Switzerland lost 4-2 on aggregate to Germany.

Spain reached the 2009 finals at Switzerland's expense in the play-offs, turning round a 2-1 first-leg loss in Aarau in which Sergio Busquets scored the visitors' goal with a 3-1 home win in the return, although they needed a Sisi strike five minutes into added time to force extra time, where Raúl García struck the decisive blow in the 112th minute.

Víctor Gómez, Juan Miranda, Hugo Guillamón, Antonio Blanco, Sergio Gómez and Abel Ruiz, plus substitute Aitor Paredes, were in the Spain side coached by Santi Denia that beat Switzerland 2-1 in the 2019 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualifying round, with Arnau Tenas an unused substitute. Imeri captained the Swiss side with Ndoye, Jan Kronig and substitutes Julian von Moos and Filip Stojilković also featuring.

Abel Ruiz scored Spain's first goal in a 3-1 U17 friendly win against Switzerland on 1 October 2015.

Form guide

Spain

This is Spain's fourth consecutive appearance in the knockout stages.

Spain's record in U21 quarter-finals is W6 L3. They were beaten in three of the first five but have won the last four, most recently 2-1 after extra time against Croatia in 2021. They have not lost a last-eight tie since being eliminated by Italy in 1990 (1-3 a, 1-0 h).

The joint most successful side in European U21 Championship history with five titles, level with Italy, Spain are in the final tournament for the 11th time overall and the seventh in eight editions, failing to qualify only in 2015 during that sequence.

La Rojita have been champions in three of the last six tournaments – 2011, 2013 and 2019 – and have reached the semi-finals or better in each of the last three. They have not failed to progress from their group since 2009.

Two years ago, a team coached by Luis de la Fuente took seven points to finish top of Group B ahead of Italy before seeing off Croatia in the quarter-finals, only to lose 1-0 to neighbours Portugal in the last four.

Spain won all eight of their qualifying fixtures for the 2023 finals, finishing nine points clear of runners-up Slovakia in Group C. They scored 37 goals and conceded only five. Ruiz was the team's leading individual marksman with seven goals.

On 8 December 2022 De La Fuente was appointed coach of Spain's senior side following Luis Enrique's departure after the FIFA World Cup and replaced by Santi Denia.

Santi's side kicked off the finals with a 3-0 win against co-hosts Romania before Ruiz scored after only 20 seconds – the fastest goal in U21 EURO finals history – to see off Croatia 1-0 on Matchday 2. That sealed progress, although it needed a 90th-minute Ruiz strike to salvage a 2-2 draw against Ukraine in their concluding Group B game and prevent their opponents taking first place at their expense.

Spain won their opening two matches before drawing the third under Santi on their way to triumphing at the U17 EURO in 2017.

Spain have won 14 of their last 17 group games at the U21 final tournament. Ukraine were only the second side after Italy to deny them victory during that sequence, the Azzurrini beating them 3-1, as hosts, on Matchday 1 in 2019 and holding them 0-0 on Matchday 2 in 2021.

Spain have now made it out of their group at their last six finals appearances (2011, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023), a competition record.

Ruiz was one of five players on two goals after the group stage.

Switzerland

This is only Switzerland's third appearance in the U21 knockout rounds. They lost 2-0 to France in the 2002 semi-finals before beating Czechia 1-0 after extra time in the last four nine years later, setting up that final defeat by Spain.

Switzerland are in their fifth final tournament, appearing in successive events for only the second time. Semi-finalists on home soil in 2002, their debut appearance, their most successful campaign came in 2011 when, with Sommer in goal, they did not concede until that 2-0 loss to Spain in the final.

The Swiss qualified for the first time in five editions in 2021, finishing third in Group D on three points and losing out to Croatia on head-to-head goals scored after that pair and England had all finished level on three points.

Ahead of these finals, a 1-0 win against England on Matchday 1 in 2021 made it five wins in Switzerland's last six finals matches although they lost the next two, against Croatia (2-3) and Portugal (0-3). They have now lost four of their last five.

A team coached by Mauro Lustrinelli qualified for the 2023 finals as the best runners-up overall, finishing second to the Netherlands in Group E. Switzerland won seven of their ten games, losing only away to the section winners (0-2).

Lustrinelli left to take charge of Thun on 1 July 2022, Patrick Rahmen being named as his replacement two weeks later.

Amdouni was Switzerland's top scorer in qualifying with six of their 22 goals, while Simon Sohm started all ten matches.

Amdouni has also scored for the senior Switzerland side in all four of their opening UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers, five goals in total, including a double at home to Romania (2-2) on 19 June.

Switzerland opened Group D with a 2-1 comeback win against Norway in which Ndoye and Imeri both found the net, but defeats against Italy (2-3) and France (1-4) meant it was only their superior head-to-head record – on number of goals scored – that kept them ahead of Italy and Norway after all three teams finished level on three points.

Imeri and Ndoye were the joint top scorers in the finals after Matchday 3, level with Ruiz of Spain, England's Emile Smith Rowe and Bradley Barcola of France on two goals.

Ndoye has had 14 shots to date, three more than any other player in the first three matchdays.

Links and trivia

Andrián Bernabé and Sohm have been Parma team-mates since 2021.