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European Under-21s Championship | Qualifiers

Sep 7, 2015 at 5.45pm UK

Norway U21s Norway Under-21s
0-1
England U21s England Under-21s

FT(HT: 0-1)

Ward-Prowse (45' pen.)

Preview: Norway Under-21s vs. England Under-21s

By Pascal Lemesre, Football League Editor | 04 September 2015

Sports Mole looks ahead to England's first qualifier for the 2017 Under-21 European Championship against Norway.

After another disappointing showing at the European Under-21 Championship, England Under-21s kick off their qualifying campaign for U21 Euro 2017 with a trip to Norway on Monday.

The hosts have already started their campaign and lie top of Group 9.

Norway

Leif Gunnar Smerud's side began their bid to reach the finals of the Championship for a third time with a 2-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in June.

Mohamed Elyounoussi and Fredrick Aursnes scored either side of half time to put Norway top of Group 9 on goal difference ahead of Kazakhstan, who also beat Bosnia earlier this week.

That win ended a run of five straight defeats and a four-game goal drought - in the most recent four losses against Croatia, Belgium, Spain and Sweden they conceded 15 without finding the net.

The two other times Norway have reached the final tournament in 1998 and 2013, Norway made it through to the semi-finals and claimed third place.

Two years ago in Israel they went unbeaten in the group before losing to eventual winners Spain 3-0 in the last four.

Recent form: LLLLLW

England

Two-time champions England often impress in qualifying and have reached the final tournament five times in a row.

However, those two victories came in 1982 and 1984 and they have been knocked out in the group stage the last three tournaments after reaching the final in 2009.

Gareth Southgate remains in charge of the Young Lions after their surprise exit at the group stage earlier this summer in the Czech Republic.

They were the top seed going into the tournament having qualified with more points than anyone else and they beat eventual winners Sweden in the group stage, but either side lost against Portugal and Italy to crash out.

Many of those present, like Jack Butland, John Stones and Harry Kane, are now firmly in the senior setup and Southgate has many new faces to work with.

Their first game since going out in the Czech Republic was a friendly last night against USA Under-23s, and Manchester United frontman James Wilson bagged the winner at Deepdale.

Recent form: WWWLWL

Team News

James Wilson of England celebrates with Duncan Watmore and Nathaniel Chalobah of England, (top) after scoring the first goal of the game during the International friendly match between England U21 and USA U23 at Deepdale on September 3, 2015

Wilson will hope that his winning goal against the States will see him earn a start, and he could replace Cauley Woodrow in attack.

Elsewhere, Under-21 new boys Joe Gomez, Dele Alli and Jordon Ibe should continue after starting at Deepdale.

It would be a surprise if Southgate made many changes, but he may opt for more Under-21 experience in midfield with the likes of Nathaniel Chalobah and Jake Forster-Caskey available.

For the hosts, Aursnes could start after coming off the bench and scoring Norway's second in the win over Bosnia.

Norway possible starting lineup:
Rossbach; Gronner, Grogaard, Haraldseid, Jenssen; Selnaes, Fossum, Strand; Berisha, Elyounoussi, Svendsen

England possible starting lineup:
Pickford; Gomez, Chambers, Dier, Targett; Loftus-Cheek, Ward-Prowse, Alli; Ibe, Wilson, Redmond

Head To Head

These two sides met both in qualifying and in the final tournament of the 2013 edition in Israel.

England won both qualifiers, but it was Norway who claimed a 3-1 victory in Group A to put England on an early plane home.

We say: Norway 0-2 England

England might keep mucking it up in the final tournament, but they are usually excellent in qualifying and should get off to a comfortable winning start here.