Preview Saturday night European Championship 2025: Littler-Wade and Humphries-Menzies headline

The first four quarterfinalists of the 2025 European Championship are known after the afternoon session earlier today. Tonight, the remaining four games from the second round are scheduled. Who else manages to join the last eight?

A total of fourteen Euro Tour tournaments were played this year. Based on all those events played, the top-32 of the PDC European Tour Order of Merit was determined. These 32 players thus qualified for the European Darts Championship.

The draw was then based on the final ranking. The number 1 drew the number 32, the number 2 faced number 31, and so on. This made it possible for certain world top players to face each other early on. So Saturday night the last four matches of the second round are scheduled. All players who won their matches in the first round on Friday night will be in action.

Jermaine Wattimena takes on home player Ricardo Pietreczko. 'The Machine Gun' impressed Friday night in his first round match against German Niko Springer. The Dutchman averaged over 106 and won the match relatively easily 6-3. The Dutchman has been in excellent form in recent weeks anyway, and knows what it is to perform at the European Darts Championship. Last year he surprisingly reached the final, and he will want to repeat that this year.

For his part, however, Pietreczko also made a good impression. The German, who plays in Dortmund for his own audience, faced the in-form Josh Rock in the first round. On paper 'Rocky' was the favorite, but Pietreczko was especially strong on his doubles and won the match 6-4 and with a finishing percentage of 50%. On paper, Wattimea seems to have an edge over 'Pikachu', but the German crowd that will undoubtedly be behind Pietreczko could make it a very exciting match.

Next Danny Noppert will take on number 1 on the ranking list Nathan Aspinall. Noppert convincingly defeated his compatriot Dirk van Duijvenbode on Friday night. The Freeze' averaged almost 105 and threw a total of 7 180's. At the World Grand Prix the Dutchman also impressed recently with his strong finishes and scoring ability.

However, his opponent is also in form. Nathan Aspinall won the last Euro Tour tournament before the European Championships, which allowed him to travel to Dortmund as number 1 in the ranking. In his first round, 'The Asp' reinforced this good feeling by beating Rob Cross 6-1 with an average of just over 100. On paper it will be close in this match, and probably the form of the day will determine who can call himself Sunday's quarterfinalist.

On paper, the third match of the evening may be the one to look forward to the most. The 18-year-old world champion Luke Littler will take on the seasoned James Wade. Littler managed to deal relatively easily with his childhood hero Raymond van Barneveld in his first round match. 'The Nuke' averaged nearly 99 and faced virtually no opposition from the Dutchman, eventually winning easily 6-1.

James Wade also managed to get through his first round easily. The Machine' had to face Mike De Decker, but had no trouble whatsoever with the Belgian. With over 97 average, he won convincingly 6-1 to secure his place in the last 16. Although Wade has been on top form lately, his record against Littler has not been too good. In six meetings between them, the 18-year-old was too strong for Wade five times. And that one win by 'The Machine' came at a Players Championship tournament. So on paper, Littler will be the dyed-in-the-wool favorite to reach the quarterfinals. But a player as figured out as James Wade should never be completely written off.

Finally, World No. 1 Luke Humphries takes on the colorful Scot Cameron Menzies. Humphries perhaps made the most impression of all the players in the first round. 'Cool Hand Luke' faced Pole Krzysztof Ratajski in his opening match and wiped the floor with him. With an average of 109.98, won 6-0 over 'The Polish Eagle' and showed that he traveled to Dortmund with only one goal: the title.

For his part, Menzies caused a small surprise by beating his compatriot Gary Anderson 6-3. In terms of statistics it was close, but one important point was the deciding factor in his victory: the doubles. Menzies finished with a finishing percentage of 60%, while Anderson finished with 27.%. This, then, was ultimately the deciding factor in the match. Normally Humphries should be by far the favorite to win this match. But that will depend entirely on how Menzies takes the stage. 'Cammy' is known for his volatility, which means he can just whizz across the stage like a whirlwind with over 100 average, but he can also completely fall through the ice and drop off without a chance. Which Menzies shows up tonight will determine how this match will go.