On the second day of the Under-19 European Championship finals, England Under-19s and Austria Under-19s get their Group B campaigns under way on Sunday evening.
The teams convene in the Slovakian city of Banska Bystrica, as the event returns after being cancelled for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Match preview
All eight competing nations at this summer's Under-19 Euros face an action-packed schedule over the coming days, and the destiny of four Group B contestants will be decided across three fixtures in the space of a week.
The top two teams in both of the competition's groups will progress to the semi-finals, and each will automatically qualify for the 2023 Under-20 World Cup in Indonesia - along with the winner of a play-off between the sides finishing third.
Therefore, one of the tournament favourites, England, will seek to make a fast start this weekend, with an eye on lifting the trophy when the final is played in Trnava on July 1.
Ian Foster's squad came through the initial qualifying phase by claiming top spot in Group 1 - having seen off Andorra and Sweden either side of a goalless draw with Switzerland - before storming into the last eight by excelling in the elite round earlier this year.
Successive wins over the Republic of Ireland, Armenia and Portugal saw nine goals scored and just one conceded, as the Young Lions reached Slovakia in impressive fashion.
Winners in 2017, with a squad featuring Mason Mount, Lukas Nmecha and Ben Brereton - the latter two having subsequently gone on to represent other nations at senior level - England will take to the field at Narodny Atleticky Stadion having gone unbeaten through their last six matches.
Incidentally, when they made the semi-finals back in 2010, England were 3-2 group-stage winners over Austria's young guns, despite a David Alaba goal, and they now meet the Alpine nation again at the start of their 2022 campaign.
The Austrians have never progressed past the semi-final stage - falling in the final four in the 2003, 2006 and 2014 editions - but earned another crack at reaching the final this time by edging out some tough competition to qualify.
After a win over Estonia, subsequent draws against Belarus and Hungary helped them through the first stage of the process, before starting the elite round with a 2-0 win over Denmark.
In the absence of disqualified Russia, Martin Scherb's side then sealed a place at the finals as Group 7 winners by fighting back from two goals down to draw against Spain.
Now, they are immediately pitched against one of the nations fancied to prevail at the start of next month, so Austria will have to upset the odds again if they are to kick off with a win.
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Team News
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England coach Ian Foster has demonstrated loyalty to the majority of players who reached this summer's finals by including them in his 21-man squad, but Borussia Dortmund starlet Jamie Bynoe-Gittens has also been promoted from the Under-18s.
As top scorer during qualifying, with a tally of six goals, Tottenham Hotspur's Dane Scarlett should lead the line up front, with Aston Villa trio Aaron Ramsey, Tim Iroegbunam and Carney Chukwuemeka featuring in midfield.
Brentford's Matthew Cox is set to start in goal, while Harvey Vale - a star of the Chelsea academy - captains the side.
Meanwhile, Austria midfielders Muharem Huskovic and Adis Jasic led the way in qualification, registering two goals apiece, and both should start on Sunday.
The former could feature in the forward line for Martin Scherb's side, alongside Jakob Knollmuller of German Bundesliga club Hoffenheim. Ex-Barcelona winger Yusuf Demir is not included, though, due to an ankle injury.
England Under-19s possible starting lineup:
Cox; Norton-Cuffy, Quansah, Humphreys, Doyle; Iroegbunam, Chukwuemeka; Devine, Ramsey, Vale; Scarlett
Austria Under-19s possible starting lineup:
Scherf; Ivkic, Querfeld, Wallner, Fallmann; Wydra, Kanuric, Jasic, Omic, Huskovic; Knollmuller
We say: England Under-19s 1-0 Austria Under-19s
England's quest for the trophy should get off to a winning start, as a team featuring some Premier League experience should have too much guile for Austria to shut out on Sunday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Jonathan O'Shea
