Under-21 EURO play-offs: Czechia, Finland qualify as Georgia defend first-leg lead against Croatia

Czechia and Finland are into the UEFA European Under-21 Championship finals in Slovakia with Georgia facing Croatia in the last of the play-off second legs.

While the nine qualifying group winners and the three best runners-up (not counting results against sixth-placed teams) are through to the final tournament from 11 to 28 June along with hosts Slovakia, the other six runners-up have been meeting over two legs for the remaining finals berths. The final tournament draw is in Bratislava on 3 December.

Second legs: Tuesday 19 November

Czechia 1-1 Belgium (agg: 3-1)

The 2002 champions Czechia secured their sixth play-off success from nine attempts although Belgium came close to overturning the 2-0 deficit from their home leg.

Belgium had the better of the first half and went ahead on the night on 51 minutes when Jarne Steuckers cut in and curled in a beautiful shot from just outside the box. The visitors kept pushing but with 11 minutes left a Czechia corner from Kryštof Daněk deflected in off the head of Belgium defender Zeno Van den Bosch.

Norway 2-1 Finland (agg: 3-6)

Finland clinched only their second U21 EURO qualification, the other being in 2009, despite defeat in Stavanger. Having scored three late goals to win their home leg 5-1, Finland extended their aggregate advantage ten minutes into the second half as Casper Terho connected with a pass by fellow opening-leg scorer Leo Walta after a short-corner move.

Norway's Seedy Jatta was sent off just before the hour but Joel Mvuka equalised on the night with nine minutes left. And in the 88th minute Marius Broholm smashed the ball in from close range, but just as in 2004 and 2017 Norway lost a U21 EURO play-off despite a second-leg win.

Croatia vs Georgia

Kick-off 19:00 CET, first leg: 0-1

First legs: Friday 15 November

Georgia 1-0 Croatia 

Georgia, in their first play-off having reached the last eight on their finals debut as 2023 co-hosts, have a lead to take to Croatia after an early own goal decided matters in front of nearly 10,000 fans in Tbilisi.

A Saba Mamatsashvili shot was parried by Croatia goalkeeper Nikola Čavlina but Moris Valinčić's attempt to clear the ball ended up going in off Marko Soldo. Čavlina was sent off just past the hour but replacement Franko Kolić made several saves to keep Croatia's deficit at one goal ahead of the return in Rijeka.

Finland 5-1 Norway 

Finland went ahead a little over a minute in with a low shot by Walta from just outside the box. Two minutes later Naatan Skyttä pounced on a stray pass and set up Terho to double the Finland lead.

Late in the first half Kristian Arnstad pulled one back for Norway with a fine finish from the edge of the penalty area. But Juho Talvitie was introduced by Finland with a quarter of an hour to go and four minutes later made it 3-1 from distance. Skyttä turned in a corner for the fourth and Tomas Galvez, with his first international goal at any level, further delighted Finland's record U21 home crowd of 5,275.

Belgium 0-2 Czechia 

Adam Karabec, part of the Czechia squad for both the 2021 and 2023 final tournaments, put the visitors into a 34th-minute lead when he charged down and deflected in a Belgium clearance. The second goal came with ten minutes left when Daniel Fila, who had not long been brought off the bench, pounced on a loose ball after a corner.

Team guide

FINLAND vs NORWAY

Finland

Qualifying Group E runners-up: P10 W6 D2 L2 F21 A8
Qualifying group stage top scorer: Otso Liimatta (7)
U21 EURO best: Group stage (2009)
Last U21 EURO: 2009 (group stage)

Previous play-offs: W1 L0
2009: W3-3agg/4-2pens vs Austria (L1-2 a, W2-1aet h)

Did you know?
Their 20 points in their group was the most Finland have ever managed in U21 qualifying.

Norway

Qualifying Group A runners-up: P10 W6 D1 L3 F28 A11
Qualifying group stage top scorer: Andreas Schjelderup (7)
U21 EURO best: Third place (1998)/Semi-finals (2013)
Last U21 EURO: 2023 (group stage)

Previous play-offs: W1 L3
2017: L1-2agg vs Serbia (L0-2 a, W1-0 h)
2013: W5-4agg vs France (L0-1 a, W5-3 h)
2004: L4-5agg vs Serbia and Montenegro (L1-5 a, W3-0 h)
2000: L1-7agg vs Spain (L1-3 h, L0-4 a)

Did you know?
Before 2023 Norway had only qualified twice, in 1998 and 2013, making the semis both times.

BELGIUM vs CZECHIA

Belgium

Qualifying Group B runners-up: P10 W6 D1 L3 F13 A6
Qualifying group stage top scorer: Kazeem Olaigbe (4)
U21 EURO best: Semi-finals (2007)
Last U21 EURO: 2023 (group stage)

Previous play-offs: W2 L2
2007: W5-2agg vs Bulgaria (D1-1 h, W4-1 a)
2006: L4-5agg vs Ukraine (W3-2 a, L1-3 h)
2002: W4-3agg vs Sweden (L2-3 a, W2-0 h)
2000: L2-4agg vs Netherlands (D2-2 a, L0-2 h)

Did you know?
Belgium are aiming to qualify twice in a row for the first time.

Czechia

Qualifying Group I runners-up: P8 W4 D2 L2 F13 A11
Qualifying group stage top scorer: Václav Sejk (4)
U21 EURO best: Winners (2002)
Last U21 EURO: 2023 (group stage)

Previous play-offs: W5 L3
2023: W2-1agg vs Iceland (W2-1 a, D0-0 h)
2013: L2-4agg vs Russia (L0-2 a, D2-2 a)
2011: W5-0agg vs Greece (W3-0 h, W2-0 a)
2007: W3-2agg vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (W2-1 h, D1-1 a)
2006: L0-3agg vs Germany (L0-2 h, L0-1 a)
2004: L3-3agg/3-4pens vs Switzerland (W2-1 a, L1-2aet h)
2002: W1-1agg away goals vs Croatia (D1-1 a, D0-0 h)
2000: W3-1agg vs Greece (W3-0 h, L0-1 a)

Did you know?
Czechia are equalling Italy and Spain's record nine play-off participations; Petr Čech was their final penalty shoot-out hero against France in their sole U21 EURO title in Switzerland.

GEORGIA vs CROATIA

Georgia

Qualifying Group C runners-up: P10 W6 D1 L3 F14 A10
Qualifying group stage top scorers: Vasil Gordeziani, Giorgi Kvernadze, Nodar Lominadze, Otar Mamageishvili (2)
U21 EURO best: Quarter-finals (2023)
Last U21 EURO: 2023 (quarter-finals)

Previous play-offs: None

Did you know?
Georgia made their finals debut as co-hosts in 2023, topping their group ahead of Portugal, the Netherlands and Belgium before losing on penalties to Israel in front of a U21 EURO record 44,338 crowd in Tbilisi (not the first time they had set a new best at the Paichadze Stadium in the course of the tournament).

Croatia

Qualifying Group G runners-up: P10 W7 D1 L2 F20 A14
Qualifying group stage top scorer: Marin Ljubičić (6)
U21 EURO best: Quarter-finals (2021)
Last U21 EURO: 2023 (group stage)

Previous play-offs: W3 L4
2023: W3-3agg/5-4pens vs Denmark (W2-1 h, L1-2aet a)
2015: L2-4agg vs England (L1-2 a, L1-2 h)
2011: L1-5agg vs Spain (L1-2 a, L0-3 h)
2006: L2-5agg vs Serbia and Montenegro (L1-3 a, L1-2 h)
2004: W2-1agg vs Scotland (W2-0 h, L0-1 a)
2002: L1-1agg away goals vs Czechia (D1-1 h, D0-0 a)
2000 W3-2agg vs Portugal (L0-2 a, W3-0aet h)

Did you know?
Croatia are hoping to qualify for the fourth final tournament in a row.