England U21s’ quest to reach the 2025 European Championships continues as they travel to face Ukraine on Monday night. It is arguably one of the toughest tests for Lee Carsley’s side, who won the Euros this summer with a 1-0 win over Spain. Below I preview the big match.

Team News

England enjoyed a remarkable 9-1 win over Serbia, but Cole Palmer was taken off with a dead leg. Now, manager Lee Carsley has said he will not take any risks with the Chelsea winger, so he is likely to sit out this one. Elsewhere, Jaden Philogene was in superb form on the left wing and is likely to retain his place, while former Aston Villa teammate Aaron Ramsey could come into the starting XI after being rested. Tino Livramento, James McAtee and Jon Rowe are all hoping for more gametime after featuring against Serbia. 

England U21 to win @ 4/5

This is the headline encounter of Group F, without a doubt. Both teams have won two from two so far, and Ukraine reached the semi-finals of the 2023 U21 Euros. However, England’s 9-1 win over Serbia has put them top of the group on goal difference, and this is a truly special squad in terms of talent. 

Carsley is allowing them to fulfil their potential, with the likes of Noni Madueke flourishing under his tenure. With Cole Palmer, Rico Lewis and Harvey Elliott, England have a crop of u21s that will hopefully perform for the first team in the future. But for now, they are part of this special squad and should be able to prove their worth again, against a truly talented Ukraine side. 

Over 3.5 goals @ 5/2

Both of these teams have remarkable attacking talent, and so we should get goals either way. The Young Lions scored nine last time out, and three against Luxembourg in the first qualification match. With the above players all involved, goals shouldn’t be an issue even against a stubborn Ukraine outfit. 

But the home side can score goals with ease too. They also beat Luxembourg 3-0 and scored three times against France in the Euros this summer. The over 3.5 market pushes the price up to 5/2, although it may also be worth considering the EVS price for over 2.5. Goals are the order of the day, and England are hungry for more.