Set to battle it out in Bucharest, La Rojita - five-time winners of the tournament - and their Ukrainian counterparts drew a dead rubber 2-2 in the group stage, but the teams now reconvene with much more at stake.
Though they had already cruised through to the last eight with wins in their first two matches, Spain's first encounter with Ukraine at this summer's finals required a last-minute Abel Ruiz equaliser to preserve their impressive unbeaten streak.
Now standing at a total of 14 matches, following a dramatic defeat of Switzerland last weekend, La Rojita's run has led them to a sixth Under-21 semi-final out of seven; equalling Italy's record of 11 overall.
They needed extra time, though, to overcome the Swiss in Saturday's quarter-final, when a deflected shot from Juan Miranda restored their lead after Zeki Amdouni had struck in stoppage time at the end of the second half.
Manchester City's Sergio Gomez had provided the opener, and was later named 'Player of the Match' by UEFA's technical panel, as for the first time in the tournament, Spain's mettle was fully tested.
By reaching the final four, Santi Denia's young charges have also assured a place at next year's Paris Olympics, but that feat will surely not satisfy their ambition: after losing to Iberian rivals Portugal in the semis two years ago, they are determined to regain the title their nation last claimed in 2019.
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