England U21 fell to a 2-1 defeat to Germany in their final group game of the European U21 Championship but still progressed to the quarter-finals as runners-up.
In a game that England saw most of the ball, Ansgar Knauff and Nelson Weiper put Germany two goals to the good in the first half before Lee Carsley’s side surged forward in the second, pulling one back through Alex Scott.
Despite the result – which saw Germany top Group B with maximum points – Carsley’s team move into to the last eight where they will meet Spain on Saturday evening in a repeat of the final two years ago.
Slovenia were beaten 2-0 by Czechia in the other group game as the chance of an early exit for the 2023 winners rarely looked like a possibility.
Our #YoungLions progress to the #U21EURO quarter-finals as Group B runners-up, despite tonight’s defeat. pic.twitter.com/ogJAC1IM4x
— England (@England) June 18, 2025
England make worst possible start
Germany head coach Antonio Di Salvo made 11 changes to the starting lineup, safe in the knowledge that his side’s passage to the last eight had already been secured before kick-off.
And his team wasted little time in their bid to impress. Inside three minutes, Lukas Ullrich’s inch-perfect lofted pass dropped over the head of Jarell Quansah to the feet of Knauff.
If the Eintracht Frankfurt winger’s first touch was good, his second was sublime, rifling the ball into the far corner beyond James Beale to give Germany an early lead.
Five minutes later, England went close to an equaliser when Ethan Nwaneri’s ball in was brilliantly cleared away from virtually under the bar by Tim Oermann with Quansah inches from making contact with the ball.
Omari Hutchinson then fired wide before Jonathan Rowe lashed into the side netting when a first-time strike looked the more desirable option.
But Despite a promising England response after going behind, Germany then doubled their lead on 33-minutes when Weiper jumped between Jack Hinshelwood and Charlie Cresswell to superbly guide a header into the corner.
The task had suddenly been made all the more difficult for Carsley’s young Lions; a floodlight going out on the stroke of half-time serving as a rather apt metaphor for the dwindling hopes of finishing as Group B winners.
ANOTHER perfect first half for our U 21 squad 🤩 we take a 2-0 lead over England into the break! 🔥#DFB #GermanFootball #GermanYNT
📸 Thomas Böcker/DFB pic.twitter.com/GSiWC7uafl
— German Football (@DFB_Team_EN) June 18, 2025
Three Lions resurgent in the second half
But qualification to the last eight seldom looked in jeopardy for England. Carsley made three changes at the break, introducing James McAtee, Jay Stansfield and Brooke Norton-Cuffy.
And, again, England largely dominated the possession statistics. The lively Norton-Cuffy hit a tame effort into the hands of Tjark Ernst before Stansfield dragged a shot wide after a neat turn in the box.
But Germany’s patient, resolute game plan was proving effective.
That is until the 76th minute when some fine work from Hutchinson down the left culminated in a tap in for Scott to halve the deficit.
Buoyed by the goal, England surged forward in search of an equaliser, Charlie Cresswell’s thumping header requiring a brilliant save from Ernst.
But Germany held on to make it three wins from three and look ahead to Italy on Sunday. For England, meanwhile, a date with a familiar foe awaits in Trnava in three days’ time.
