Israel U21s v England U21s predictions: Young Lions have sights set on final
- England have won all four of their European Under-21 Championship matches to nil
- Israel have failed to score in four of their last seven games
- Recommended bet: England to win & under 3.5 goals
England U21s have made light work of the European Under-21 Championships to this point, recording four wins out four with seven goals scored and none conceded.
And the Young Lions' jaunt through the tournament is not expected to end at the semi-final stage, with Lee Carsley's men 4/11 favourites with LiveScore Bet to see off Israel for the second time at the Euros.
England were comfortable 2-0 winners when the sides met in the group stage but Israel have proven to be a resilient bunch and Wednesday's last-four encounter in Batumi could prove tight.
Team news
Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey is out of the tournament with the ankle injury he suffered in England's 1-0 quarter-final win over Portugal.
Emile Smith-Rowe is expected to replace Ramsey on the left wing, while James Garner and Luke Thomas are set to come into the defence in place of suspended duo Max Aarons and Ben Johnson.
Israel's penalty shootout hero from their quarter-final win over Georgia, Daniel Peretz, is suspended, as too is Eden Karzev, but Roy Revivo is back from his ban.
The stats
England's run to the semi-finals has extended Carsley's impressive record as Young Lions head coach, with the former Everton midfielder winning 15 of his 19 games in charge.
In addition, 11 of those victories have been accompanied by a clean sheet, while England's defence has only twice conceded more than one goal in a game during Carsley's tenure.
Anthony Gordon has scored twice at the Euros so far, netting the winner in the quarter-finals against Portugal after scoring in the group stage clash with Israel. The Newcastle man now has six goals in 14 appearances for the Young Lions.
Israel are lacking a regular scorer with Guy Luzon's side failing to score in half of their games at the European Championship finals, and four of their last seven outings overall.
Goals are not the only thing Israel are missing, with wins hard to come by too. They have won only one of their last eight games inside 90 minutes and required penalties to beat Georgia in the last round.
Prediction
Israel were thoroughly outclassed when these sides last met, registering just one shot on target in a one-sided affair, and while they may be more competitive this time, England should see them off again.
Israel are without the services of their best player at this tournament, goalkeeper Peretz, who has saved four penalties in total, while their record going forward suggests they will not become the first team to score against England.
The Young Lions are unlikely to be as fluid as they have been without the services of three regulars, with Ramsey's absence a particularly bitter pill to swallow.
They should not find it easy to break down Israel and their slightly conservative style of play hints at this not being a high-scoring game with under 3.5 goals the result in a combined eight out of eight games for both sides at the Euros.
England have found a way to get the job done so far, though, and one goal may be enough to see them through to the final for the first time since 2009.
