Spain Under-21 lose to Finland and delay their Euro qualification

Spain U-21 lost 2-1 to Finland in Tampere, marking the first defeat for the side coached by David Gordo in the qualifying phase. The setback postpones La Roja's qualification for the 2027 European Championship, which will be held in Serbia and Albania.

Match development

Finland opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Liam Möller beat Xavi Espart on the left and delivered the pass to Otto Ruoppi, who finished with a low drive. The Barcelona full‑back, who was making his debut with the U‑21 side, received a yellow card in the thirty‑five minute and was substituted by David Gordo at halftime.

After the goal, Spain kept possession, with Marc Bernal trying to distribute the play, but the lack of collective fluidity prevented the ball from reaching Gonzalo García. In the second half, the little Red side pressed without creating chances, and in the sixty‑sixth minute a poor clearance from Álex Valle left the ball to Miska Ylitolva, who increased the lead to two goals.

David Gordo responded with substitutions at the seventieth minute, bringing on Jan Virgili and Pablo García, and at the seventy‑fourth minute Carlos Espí. In the eighty‑sixth minute, a cross from Valle was headed by Jacobo Ramón, reducing the score to 2‑1 and creating a dangerous chance for Pablo García in stoppage time.

Table situation

The result cut Spain's lead to two points over Finland, who now sit second with five points. La Roja remains top with twenty‑one points, but qualification for the European Championship is still pending and will depend on the next match against San Marino on October 1 in Serravalle.

According to the RFEF calendar, the qualifying phase will conclude on October 6 in Can Misses (Ibiza) against Romania. The defeat leaves Group A open and forces Spain to chase a win against the bottom‑placed team to secure its ticket.

In the Finnish line‑up, Jantunen stood out in goal and Ruoppi, while Spain featured Salvi Esquivel between the posts and a front line comprising Jacobo Ramón and Álex Valle. The referee Gergo Bogár, from Hungary, showed yellow cards to Ylitolva, Espart, Chema Andrés, Jesús Rodríguez, Virgili and Lötjönen.

The upcoming match against San Marino, considered the bottom‑placed side, will give the national team the chance to recover the three needed points. A win would keep Spain at the top of the group and bring its qualification for the 2027 European Championship closer.