BRATISLAVA (UEFA / SFZ) - Back when Slovakia hosted the UEFA U21 Championship at the start of the millennium, only one team from today’s Group D made an appearance — the Netherlands.They left an impression with Mark van Bommel’s unforgettable goal from the halfway line against Croatia, but were later eliminated by the Czech Republic and Spain.

Twenty-five years later, the Oranje are setting their sights far higher than just a group stage exit. They were the only team to breeze through qualification with a perfect record, scoring 32 goals and conceding just 3.

Their pre-tournament form has been equally convincing. The Dutch defeated Italy, Romania (Slovakia’s group-stage opponents), and wrapped up preparations with a 3–0 win over Ivory Coast’s U23 squad.

Over 17,000 fans attended the team’s final warm-up in Groningen — a testament to the strong home support behind coach Michael Reiziger, the former Ajax, Barcelona, and PSV Eindhoven defender.

The Netherlands boast two U21 Euro titles, having won back-to-back in 2006 and 2007. Today’s squad hopes to replicate the success of Foppe de Haan’s legendary side, and the ambition is clear: win it all.

“Of course, we want to win the trophy,” said Reiziger, who earned 72 caps for the national team. The Dutch FA recently extended his contract through the next championship in 2027.

Among the standout names is 20-year-old Ruben van Bommel, son of the aforementioned Mark. Now playing for AZ Alkmaar, Ruben has battled through recent injuries to follow in his father’s footsteps and feature at a youth Euro in Slovakia.

“My dad knows a lot about forwards — in a different way though. His job was to stop them,” Ruben smiled. “It’s great that I can talk about football with him, and also with my grandfather, Bert van Marwijk. Football often comes down to the little details.”

Group D — played in Košice and Prešov — is expected to be one of the tournament’s most balanced. Ukraine, Denmark, and Finland all have their eyes on the quarter-finals. Finland returns to the U21 Euros after 16 years, having secured their spot through the playoffs.

Interestingly, Finland’s Matti Peltola will face the Netherlands at both senior and U21 level. On Saturday, he took part in a full international against the Dutch and will join the U21 squad only after Finland’s June 10 World Cup qualifier against Poland — just in time for their match versus Ukraine.

Ukraine’s roster is built on the core of Dynamo Kyiv players and features Yehor Yarmoliuk, who’s spent two full seasons in the Premier League with Brentford. A defensive midfielder, he’s still seeking his first goal on English soil.

The Ukrainians warmed up with a shock 1–0 win over Spain in a friendly played in the Madrid suburb of Alcorcón. While Marca called it a “wake-up call” for the Spaniards, Ukraine showed they’re not to be underestimated.

As for Denmark, all eyes are on 20-year-old Conrad Harder — a league champion with Sporting Lisbon and the hero of the Portuguese Cup final, scoring the winner against Benfica.

Up front, he’ll be joined by Mathias Kvistgaarden, the second-highest scorer in the Danish league. He netted 23 goals for Bröndby IF across all competitions last season. Together, they’ll be Denmark’s key weapons in their bid for a quarter-final spot.