England beat Germany in thriller to retain Under-21 Euros title

New York Times

10 hours ago

England retained their European U21 Championship title with a dramatic 3-2 extra-time victory over Germany in the final in Bratislava, Slovakia.
In front of watching senior team manager Thomas Tuchel, the holders squandered a 2-0 lead before substitute Jonathan Rowe — only introduced for the start of the additional 30 minutes — won it for England.
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First-half goals from Harvey Elliott and Omari Hutchinson had put the 2023 champions into a commanding position but Germany, who beat them in the group stage, fought back. Nelson Weiper headed in just before half-time and Paul Nebel's deflected strike levelled the scores after 61 minutes. Nebel thought he had won it in the third of four added minutes at the end of normal time, but his effort hit the crossbar.
England made the most of that let-off and Lee Carsley's decision to introduce Rowe proved an inspired one.
England's triumph is a second success at this level for U21 head coach Carsley, who guided them to victory in the final against Spain two years ago.
What a moment for Rowe. Sometimes two touches are all you need to make a difference. His first was to kick off extra time and his second was to put England back ahead just a minute later.
Called upon to replace captain James McAtee, who was forced off with cramp after a top performance of his own, Rowe has been a shining example of the value and importance of being a team player.
Having just finished his first season at Marseille after coming through Norwich City's academy, Rowe is a more natural winger than centre-forward. Even so, he started every group game as one of the two players Carsley used up front.
He lost his starting spot to Jay Stansfield in the knockout games, but has still contributed heavily in the minutes he has been given off the bench. His off-ball running was key to England closing out their quarter-final win against Spain, and led to a late penalty that secured their 3-1 win that night.
After his goal in the final, he continued to use his body well to give his team a solid platform. He may not have been England's star name, but in the end it was Rowe's application that won them the tournament.
England have had to grow into these Euros. They won their opening game against the Czech Republic 3-1, but a goalless draw against Slovenia and a 2-1 loss to Germany meant they finished second in their group.
That theme did not come as a surprise to Carsley, who spoke before the tournament about finding more fluidity over the course of the Euros. That came after a switch from that 4-2-2-2 shape, where no natural centre-forwards were used, to a more conventional 4-2-3-1 in the knockout stages.
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England were much more balanced and built off the momentum swing early in their quarter-final against Spain to breathe life into their campaign. The confidence that came from both the performance and result against Spain carried into their semi-final victory over the Netherlands, a game they largely dominated.
That was evident again in the final, particularly in the way they started and looked so comfortable for such a long period in the first half. They were then able to show the resilience and fight to deal with being pegged back and their squad depth helped them over the line and to the trophy.
One of Carsley's key messages before and during the tournament has been about not comparing this group to the one of 2023, but replicating the achievements of former England U21 manager Dave Sexton.
Sexton, who managed Chelsea and Manchester United in the 1960s and 1970s, led England to back-to-back U21 European Championship wins in 1982 and 1984. Sexton's England sides beat West Germany and Spain in their finals, and as chance would have it, Carsley has faced Spain and Germany in his two finals.
Rather than wanting to replicate Sexton to enhance his own reputation, Carsley sees the significance in producing players for the England seniors who are accustomed to winning. During the group stages, a line of his that stood out was that 'there's a difference between hope and belief'.
The more often England youth teams reach these finals and win, the more he feels that will instil a belief that they can do similar for the senior team. The watching Tuchel will surely have liked what he saw.
Elliott is the player who has symbolised England's tournament, growing in confidence with each match. He scored their first goal in the opening game, but seemed to be a square peg in a round hole in the group stage.
Used between the lines where he could run from deep, he took charge in the knockouts.
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His opener in the final — his fifth goal of the tournament — showed composure that comes from confidence and rhythm being built with consistent games over the past month. It would have been easy to snatch at the chance, but after two excellent finishes in the semi-finals, there was no doubt he would pick the right corner to bury this chance too.
Ipswich Town's Hutchinson was just as deserving of his goal against Germany — he has arguably been England's most consistent attacking threat in Slovakia.
Even when Carsley was using a 4-2-2-2 shape during the group stage, he dovetailed well with Tino Livramento to make things happen on the left. A consistent theme has been his willingness to dribble, with Carsley often shouting 'take him on' when the winger receives the ball.
No player at the tournament had attempted more dribbles than Hutchinson going into the final (24), but it was the simplicity of his first-touch finish through the German keeper's legs that proved so effective on Saturday.
Three other players have stood out for different reasons.
Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson was influential when England were still finding their way in the group stages. Playing deeper in midfield, he was a vocal presence, but also played a variety of penetrative passes to create openings for his team-mates.
Carsley said he was playing 'like a senior pro' and it was hard to disagree. He showed a different side to his game in the final, covering space well.
Bournemouth's Alex Scott has been key beside Anderson, too. The 21-year-old put his body on the line in Slovakia, often flying through the air to block shots on the edge of his own box, before a foul from Germany captain Eric Martel forced him off early in the final.
He helped England become more intense as the tournament progressed and showed great skill in midfield to keep things ticking over. Having worn a brace over his fractured jaw in all the games, that will surely be a prized piece of memorabilia for England's representative from the Channel Islands.
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Finally, Brighton & Hove Albion's James Beadle has been instrumental in goal. The 6ft 7in (201cm) shot-stopper was crucial in the group stages, particularly in the goalless draw against Slovenia, as his saves ensured England were in a position to progress to the knockouts.