Luke Littler’s exit from the tournament on Saturday has opened the door for a potential surprise winner in Dortmund, and in-form Gian van Veen will feel as though now might be his time.

The World Youth champion has been consistently impressive on the big stage in recent times. Since the start of September, he has reached three European Tour semi-finals in four appearances, averaging 99 or higher in 10 of those 14 matches.

It has taken special performances to stop the 23-year-old lately. Earlier this month, he set a new record for the highest three-dart average in World Grand Prix history, averaging 106.47 in a 2-0 defeat to the eventual champion Littler.

Van Veen has won both of his head-to-heads with Joyce comfortably, while landing the most 180s in each. The world number 24 will likely struggle to live with the Dutchman’s scoring power over a best of 19 legs match.

Danny Noppert made back-to-back European Championship quarter-finals in 2021 and 2022, and has since twice gone one better by making the semi-finals in each of the last two editions.

The former UK Open winner has progressed to the semi-finals of the World Masters, World Cup, and World Grand Prix this term, so nerves are unlikely to be a huge factor as he bids for another last-four spot, at a venue where he knows what it takes to get to the final session.

Ricardo Pietreczko will have the backing of the home crowd, but he faces a hurdle he has yet to clear in an individual major. Results suggest Noppert enjoys this venue just as much as the German does, and if it goes the distance, as it did at this stage 12 months ago when Noppert won 10-9, experience in those situations favours the 17th seed.