European U21 Championship Tuesday preview: Serbia v Macedonia, Portugal v Spain
Tuesday 20 June 2017 22:25, UK
Serbia face Macedonia and Portugal take on Spain in European U21 Championship action, live on Sky Sports.
Both Serbia and Macedonia were beaten in their first games of the group on Saturday and know only a victory will keep alive any chances of making it to the last four.
For Portugal and Spain, three points would be a big step towards qualification from the group.
Serbia v Macedonia - 4:50pm on Sky Sports 1 HD
Live UEFA European Under-21s Championship Football
Serbia were on the wrong end of a 2-0 defeat to Portugal while Macedonia were thumped 5-0 by Spain, and both sides will be aware that the tournament structure means anything but a win will see them exit the competition.
Macedonia started the competition as outsiders and that tag wasn't helped as a Marco Asensio hat-trick helped the Spanish towards a thumping victory in Gdynia. This match, however, will give them more of an opportunity to show what they can do.
Serbia have not won a game in this competition since 2007, and earned just a single point in the group stages in 2015.
Key players to watch: Marko Grujic (Serbia/Liverpool), Kire Markoski (Macedonia/Rabotnichki)
Portugal v Spain - 7:40pm on Sky Sports 1 HD
Live UEFA European Under-21s Championship Football
Spain recorded an emphatic win on Saturday, with goals from Saul Niguez and a Gerard Deulofeu penalty adding to Asensio's hat-trick, and they'll be looking to move a step closer to a fifth U21 title (of which their last win came in 2013).
For Portugal, who eased past Serbia with goals from Goncalo Guedes and Bruno Fernandes, it will be interesting to see how they play against the tournament favourites, as neither side will want to lose and fall out of contention for a place in the semi-finals.
Renato Sanches, who started for Portugal in the Euro 2016 final victory last summer but was a substitute in their opening game, will be hoping for a spot in the XI after coming off the bench to set up their second goal.
Key players to watch: Bruno Fernandes (Portugal/Sampdoria), Marco Asensio (Spain/Real Madrid)
