Preview Friday night European Championship Darts: Humphries, Littler, Anderson-Menzies and Rock among lead attractions

Dortmund is hosting the European Darts Championship this weekend. This major will be the conclusion of the European Tour 2025. We will be looking for a successor to Ritchie Edhouse, who won the tournament last year by beating Jermaine Wattimena 11-3 in the final.

The best 32 players on the European Tour Order of Merit have qualified for the European Darts Championship. Remarkably, the defending champion did not manage to qualify for the European Championship Darts this year. So we get a different winner than last year anyway. By the way, for the winner there is a check waiting for no less than 120,000 pounds. Friday evening the last eight matches from the first round will be completed. Below is a preview of all these matches.

The evening kicks off with an intriguing duel between Niko Springer, the young German who impressed on the European Tour this season, and Jermaine Wattimena, the experienced Dutchman who reached the final at last year's European Darts Championship.Springer, only 25, has developed into a crowd favorite in his own country. Earlier this year, he made his definitive breakthrough by winning the Hungarian Darts Trophy, where he was too strong for Danny Noppert in the final. The big question: can he translate that form to the stage of a major as well?

Wattimena, on the other hand, is now an established name in the PDC. 'The Machine Gun' already won two Players Championships this year and probably never stood to play better, especially on such a regular basis. Wattimena will have to contend with the noisy home crowd that will rally behind Springer as one.

The second match is one between two Scots. Gary Anderson, two-time world champion and former European Championship finalist, takes on compatriot Cameron Menzies. Anderson is still regularly throwing high averages, but on the majors it is all a bit less constant.

Given his status, Anderson is the favorite in this duel, but he will certainly not underestimate Menzies. Menzies has now worked his way up to the top-32 of the world rankings and has nothing to lose. He darts by feel, smiles on stage and sometimes plays brilliantly, sometimes erratically. Against his compatriot he will be extra driven; a win over Anderson would boost his status as a dangerous outsider. We are therefore expected to have an exciting duel.

James Wade is experiencing his second skin this year. The now 42-year-old Englishman already played the final at the UK Open the World Matchplay, both of which he did lose. 'The Machine' therefore yearns for another major title, why not at this European Darts Championship?

Decker, on the other hand, is experiencing a shaky year. Good for finals at the Belgian Darts Open and the Australian Darts Masters, but also some quick eliminations. Since his move to Misson Darts, De Decker has been struggling with his darts and says he hasn't quite found the right feeling yet. The question is which De Decker we will see this tournament, the doubting one or the player who impressed us last year by winning the World Grand Prix?

A duel that guarantees a spectacle: Josh Rock against Ricardo Pietreczko. Rock won the World Cup of Darts in mid-June this year alongside Daryl Gurney and has only gotten better since then. 'Rocky' is a regular in the final stages of several tournaments and a first major title seems to be a matter of time.

Pietreczko is unpredictable but dangerous. His emotion on stage is infectious, and once he gets into a flow, he is hard to stop. Domestically, he will have the crowd behind him, which can give him wings. Rock normally has the upper hand in terms of scoring ability, but with the crowd behind him, Pietreczko may be able to rise above himself.

Luke Humphries begins his European Championship campaign against Krzysztof Ratajski. Humphries has gone through a metamorphosis over the last two seasons - from talent to absolute world class. In two years, he has won almost all majors once or more, but at the European Darts Championship he never got beyond the quarter-finals. 'Cool Hand Luke' will therefore be keen to deliver a strong performance this weekend.

Ratajski is a player who can never be wiped off the map. His discipline, steady rhythm and ability to play without much emotion make him hard to break. Humphries obviously starts this match as the favorite, but he will certainly not underestimate Ratajski.

A match that connects generations: Luke Littler, the prodigy of 18, versus Raymond van Barneveld, the living Dutch legend.Littler has turned the darts world upside down in two years. Like Humphries, he has now won most majors once or more, but the European Darts Championship is still missing from his record. Littler already won four majors this year, will his fifth follow this weekend?

The emotional charge of this duel is enormous. For the fans, it is a dream affair: the past versus the future. Van Barneveld will have to play off all his experience, and hope that Littler does not immediately get into his familiar rhythm. But if the young Englishman continues to sprinkle his 180s as he does, 'Barney' will still have trouble keeping up.

Two former major winners meeting in the first round - that says enough about the strength of the field. Nathan Aspinall and Rob Cross not only share a winner's mentality, but also a similar career curve: peaking at big moments, but also struggling with constant form. Aspinall fell out of the top-20 in the world rankings earlier this year, but after his tournament victory last weekend at the German Darts Championship, he has again advanced to 20th place.

Cross is blowing hot and cold this year and in recent months especially the latter. 'Voltage' could therefore use a strong performance at a major.

Finally, a purely Dutch affair: Dirk van Duijvenbode against Danny Noppert. Two men who know each other through and through, but with totally different styles.Van Duijvenbode, the fiery showman, plays on emotion and power at a brisk pace. Noppert, on the other hand, is tranquility itself, an analytical player who hits his doubles with ice-cold precision.

Noppert has been outstanding this year and is the most consistent Dutchman on the Pro Tour. Van Gerwen is even higher in the world rankings, but it is Noppert who has been performing best for a while now. Noppert recently reached the semifinals at the World Grand Prix and thus comes to Dortmund brimming with confidence. Van Duijvenbode also recently tanked confidence with a final place at the German Darts Championship. An exciting match between the two Dutchmen therefore announces itself.