England will play Spain in the quarter-finals of the Under-21 European Championship after they were beaten 2-1 by Germany in their final group game in Slovakia to finish runners-up in Group B.
Lee Carsley’s side needed a victory in Nitra to go through to the knockout rounds in first place, but despite already-qualified Germany making 11 changes, the reigning champions struggled to impose themselves and conceded both goals in the first half.
An excellent finish by Eintracht Frankfurt winger Ansgar Knauff and a header from forward Nelson Weiper of Mainz sent the 2023 winners to defeat and left them to face pre-tournament favourites Spain – who they beat in the final two years ago – in Trnava on Saturday.
Bournemouth’s Alex Scott tapped home 14 minutes from time from Omari Hutchinson’s cross to make it 2-1 but they could not emulate the comeback from 5-1 down produced by their under-19 counterparts against Germany on Tuesday.
However, Slovenia’s defeat to the Czech Republic in the other match in group was enough to secure England’s passage.
England U21 boss Lee Carsley
England fell behind after just three minutes. Lukas Ullrich scooped a lovely diagonal ball into the box that drifted over the head of Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah, who was caught flat-footed, and Knauff brought it down wonderfully before flicking it with the outside of his right boot beyond James Beadle.
It was 2-0 before half-time and poor defending cost England. This time Knauff was the provider, swinging in a cross to the edge of the six-yard box where Weiper leapt between Charlie Cresswell and Jack Hinshelwood, beating both defenders to the ball and sending a towering header down into the corner.
Harvey Elliott blasted over the crossbar from inside the box towards the end of the first half as Carsley’s side sought a way back before the break, then Elliot Anderson was denied by a smothering low stop from goalkeeper Tjark Ernst.
The final minute of the half was played out in partial darkness after a floodlight failed inside the Pod Zoborom Stadium.
The problem was repaired during half-time but England found their issues to be a less straightforward fix, struggling to put pressure on Germany despite three changes from Carsley at the interval.
Hinshelwood had a golden chance to reduce the arrears in the 74th minute, but badly miscued his header from six yards out and sent it sailing over the bar. Scott then gave England hope when he turned Hutchinson’s ball over the line.
Ernst saved brilliantly from Cresswell’s header as Carsley’s side fought gamely but in vain for a point.
