Three days after the victory over Italy (5-3, after extra time), the competition record holder, Rui Jorge’s team faces five-time champions and defending champions (1986, 1998, 2011, 2013 and 2019) from 18:00 (17: 00 in Lisbon), at Estádio Ljudski vrt.

Portugal will play for the fourth time in the European Under-21 Championship semi-final, after victories in 1994 (2-0 against Spain), 2015 (5-0 against Germany) and eliminations in 2004 (1-3 against Spain). Italy) with 23 players called up, ready to face “Rogitta”.

The “Alkinas” team arrives in Maribor, the second largest city in Slovenia, located approximately 130 kilometers northeast of Ljubljana, with an undefeated track and the best offensive of the tournament, with 11 goals, which will test the least defeated defense, with one suffered.

The pupils of Luis de la Fuente overcame the first round, which took place between March 24 and 31, with victories over hosts Slovenia (3-0) and the Czech Republic (2-0) and ‘null’ against Italy, but they needed extra time. To defeat Croatia (2-1) in the “quarter”.

Despite the heavyweight at the European Under-21 Championship, which still has three losing finals (1984, 1996 and 2017), Spain, in which defender Hugo Guillamon will play the match suspension, has had two victories and several defeats in official matches with Portugal. .

The Iberian match on Slovenian soil will be moderated by Swede Glenn Nyberg and will determine the opponents of the Netherlands or Germany, who will meet three hours later in the Hungarian city of Sixfervar, in the final scheduled for Sunday in Ljubljana.

Portugal is looking for an unprecedented title for an eighth presence in the finals of the European Under-21 Championship, which was held in obsolete Hungary and Slovenia, due to the postponement of Euro 2020 to this year, motivated by the covid-19 pandemic.