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Norway U21 and Switzerland U21 will kickstart their 2023 UEFA Euro U-21 Championship when they square off on Thursday.
The Norwegians come into the tournament on the back of a 1-1 draw against Scotland in a friendly last week. They went ahead through Bryan Fiabema's 31st-minute strike, while Tommy Conway drew the Scots level from the spot in the 79th minute.
Switzerland, meanwhile, fell to a 3-1 defeat against Germany despite taking the lead. Dan Ndoye broke the deadlock in the fifth minute but goals from Kevin Schade, Jessic Ngankam and Nelson Weiper helped the Germans overturn the deficit.
Norway qualified for the Euros as Group A winners in the qualifiers, having garnered 24 points from 10 games. Switzerland finished second in Group E with 23 points to their name which was enough for them to qualify automatically as the best second-placed team.
Both sides have been grouped in Group D alongside France and Italy.
Norway U21 vs Switzerland U21 Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two sides have clashed on six occasions in the past. Norway have three wins to their name while Switzerland were victorious twice and one game ended in a stalemate.
- Their most recent meeting came in September 2022 when Norway claimed a 3-2 win in a friendly.
- Five of the six head-to-head games saw both sides find the back of the net.
- Each of Switzerland's last five games produced three goals or more.
- Norway have managed just one win from their last seven games and are winless in their last four games.
- Four of Norway's last five games have seen one side fail to find the back of the net.
Norway U21 vs Switzerland U21 Prediction
Group D is arguably the toughest group of the tournament, with all four sides having a shot at qualification for the knockout round.
Norway and Switzerland will aim for maximum points in their opening game to set the pace in the group. The Swiss have been the more consistent side, with their games tending to be high-scoring affairs.
Although one side could nick a win here, we are backing the spoils to be shared with goals at both ends.
Prediction: Norway U21 2-2 Switzerland U21
Norway U21 vs Switzerland U21 Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Draw
Tip 2 - Both teams to score
Tip 3 - Over 2.5 goals
Bold Tip - Both teams to score over 1.5 goals
