BLOG - 2014 European Under-17 Championship: Matchday Three Preview

Preview of Matchday Three (matches to be played on Thursday 15 May)

The final group matchday sees first place up for grabs in Group A and the second qualification spot in Group B, while there is only one game with nothing at stake. Each group's matches are to be played simultaneously with one at Ta' Qali and the other at Paola.

Group A

Turkey v Malta
Ta' Qali, national stadium
This dead-rubber is the last chance for both sides to gain a point at these championships and possibly Malta's last appearance in an international tournament for a while. Friggieri, Mbong, and Beerman all showed fine skills against the Dutch and will be hoping for another attacking performance versus Turkey who by comparison have little to play for.

The Maltese face the same challenge they did in the two prior games and this match is of equal importance to them, perhaps higher considering it is their last chance to play on this stage. A lot depends on how they deal with their elation after their performance in the Netherlands match and if they're not defensively concentrated they could find themselves over-run by the Turkish attack, who may not be as wasteful as England and the Netherlands were.

The match kicks off at 10.00 AM BST and is live on Eurosport 2

England v Netherlands
Hibernians Stadium, Paola
This promises to be the first measure of these sides' comparative strength, although England coach John Peacock has said he'll look at his options while still trying to win the game. Neither side will want to face Portugal in the semis, a side who have beaten both this season and, even if the match may not be as charged were their respective qualifications from the group being played for, it should be an entertaining match-up between the two most offensive heavyweights at the tournament in an encounter that could feasibly be the tournament's final.

For that to happen the Dutch will have to improve defensively after two weak showings and even if the front line they face may not be England's strongest, how their defence fares will be one of the match's key points while their midfield will need to withstand the English pressing which in their two matches so far has been the most successful at the tournament.

The match kicks off at 10.00 AM BST and is live on Eurosport

Group B

Germany v Portugal
Ta' Qali, national stadium
Many thought this would be the final and while Portugal are safely qualified, the Germans' two disappointing performances mean they need to win this and hope the result between Switzerland v Scotland is a draw or a small-margined Swiss victory which would see the Germans through on goal difference if they managed to win by a greater score than the Swiss. As it stands, Germany, Scotland, and Switzerland's goal difference are all level on minus one, with the two German-speaking countries on one point each and Scotland with three so it may be very tight who qualifies come the last 20 minutes of these matches.

For Germany to have a chance of going through they need to show a greater level of technical quality than they have so far to breakdown what is statistically the tournament's best defence. The Portuguese are the only team yet to concede and even if they should make changes their solidity at the back will not alter.

Likewise, defence is Germany's greatest strength which means this will probably be a tough match decided by a low scoreline unless one side begins to chase the result having conceded a goal. If the Germans over-commit trying to get the win they may suffer against the counter-attack.

The match kicks of at 5.00PM BST and is live on Eurosport

Switzerland v Scotland
Hibernians Stadium, Paola
This match is the key to who qualifies alongside Portugal, and Scotland will fancy their chances knowing a draw may well be enough to see them through while a win guarantees it. That will not be easy against Switzerland, who have given both the favourites tough games and they were perhaps more unlucky not to take points off the Portuguese than they were lucky to gain a point from Germany. Albian Ajeti is yet to score despite coming close and, like the Scottish, the Swiss only managed one goal against the big two, though they've created good chances that they will hope to make more of against the Scottish.

This is a primarily defensive group, where all the teams have been strong at the back with the games decided by low scores and both teams will realistically believe they can win this match as long as they keep a clean sheet. Both sat behind the ball against Germany and Portugal, playing counter-attacking games, so it will be interesting to see who looks to control the match and whether it is a policy that pays off.

The match kicks off at 5.00 PM BST and is live on Eurosport 2

With thanks to Samuel King, who you can follow on twitter @KingSRV