- Croatia U19 have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five matches.
- Ukraine U19 have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five games.
Slovenia’s footballing talent pool
Croatia U19 will look to continue their recent resurgence when they face off against Ukraine U19 in Group B of the 2026 UEFA EURO U19 tournament on Monday. Coach Siniša Oreščanin tends to play a patient, structured style of football, one that is usually built through central midfield and a compact spine. His team are the slight favourites in the match at 2.28 and that's understandable, but Ukraine U19 are no mugs at 3.29, with the draw at 3.39 also a strong option to back for this Group B battle. The hosts will feel confident about the prospect of a good result, having gone 6-1-3 across their previous ten in all competitions. However, they're hardly a perfect record and Ukraine U19 have a strong enough run of recent results to think they can cause a surprise in Croatia, going 6-1-3 across their ten previous.
Ukraine to give the hosts a run for their money
Despite the favouritism of Croatia U19, Ukraine U19 are no slouches and will be a serious threat in this game. The visitors are a more vertical side than their hosts and look to exploit the gaps in behind with a high-tempo approach and good transitions.
They'll face off against a solid Croatia U19 team that have recently got over their struggles at home, going 3-0-1 across their most recent four. However, Ukraine U19 have been a tough nut to crack on their travels lately, going 1-1-1 in their three previous away games.
The visitors should take a lot of heart from Croatia's last two results: a 1-1 draw away to France U19 in the UEFA U19 Championship Qualification - Elite Round and a 2-0 defeat to England U19 at home in the UEFA U19 Championship Qualification League A.
That's a pretty good double of results for the Ukraine U19 team, but they did go into those games in fine nick with a 4-0 away win over Estonia U19 in the UEFA U19 Championship Qualification League A. It's a clash between the control and the chaos in midfield here, with Croatia U19 looking to slow the game down and Ukraine U19 aiming to exploit gaps.
Back both teams to score in a tight match
We're backing the goals here, with Over 2.5 at 1.79 and Both Teams To Score: Yes at 1.61 looking like the best bets. A 2-1 type result for Croatia U19 appeals at the price, but we're going for the goals in this clash between two talented sides that will both get moments to shine in a back-and-forth encounter.
