Heartbreak for Germany as England clinch back-to-back Euro U21 titles in 3-2 classic | OneFootball

England squeezed past Germany in a thrilling European Under-21 Championship final to defend their crown.

One of the most exciting finals in recent memory saw the Germans haul back a two-goal deficit, only to lose 3-2 after extra time in Bratislava.

Both sides were dominant in the semi-finals, setting up their first meeting in the Euros U21 final since 2009 when Germany strolled to a landslide 4-0 victory on Swedish soil.

Antonio Di Salvo’s team had hoped for an identical outcome, buoyed by a superb run in Slovakia, culminating with their fourth grand-final appearance in the last five editions.

However, England sought revenge for a 2-1 defeat in the group stages and got off to a better start as Harvey Elliott maintained his formidable tournament form with an early opener.

The Liverpool forward put the Young Lions in front after only five minutes, showing composure and skill to beat German goalkeeper Noah Atubolu from inside the box.

Despite relinquishing possession after taking the lead, England denied Die Mannschaft any shot on target, keeping in-demand striker Nick Woltemade at arm’s length.

Lee Carsley’s side waited patiently for a chance to punish the Germans on the counter and found one midway through the first half as James McAtee and Omari Hutchinson caught Di Salvo’s side off guard.

Although the Manchester City youngster had a misstep, he quickly regained control before teeing up the Ipswich Town starlet, who slotted the ball beneath Atubolu to make it 2-0.

Germany almost pulled one back minutes after, but Nelson Weiper’s header at the near post flew narrowly wide of the target. It was the closest they got to finding the net in the opening half an hour.

Forced to take greater risks, Di Salvo’s men started pushing forward in numbers, leaving even more space for England at the back, which nearly backfired towards the end of the first half.

McAtee nearly got on the scoresheet after registering an assist, yet Atubolu made a terrific diving save to thwart his low effort from the edge of the penalty area.

Just as England seemed poised to take a comfortable lead into half-time, Weiper rose highest to power a header into the top corner, leaving James Beadle with no chance.

England could’ve enjoyed the best possible start to the second half as McAtee stormed through the middle before trying to pick out the bottom corner, only to miss by an inch.

It didn’t take long for Germany to reply. Paul Nebel broke free after a lightning-fast counter-attack, yet his feeble attempt from close range failed to trouble Beadle.

A few minutes after firing a warning shot, Nebel drew Germany level with a thunderbolt of a shot. Unmarked at the far post after a corner kick, he found a pocket of space before hitting the top corner with venom.

It was a wake-up call for the Young Lions, who immediately regained control of possession and pinned the Germans back into their own half.

Clear-cut chances were hard to come by as Germany put everyone behind the ball, making it virtually impossible for England to find spaces.

However, Carsley’s lads came close to re-establishing the lead through Brooke Norton-Cuffy. The Genoa wing-back latched onto Hutchinson’s cutback, but his effort lacked power and precision, proving no threat to Atubolu.

At the other end, Nebel came close to bagging his brace, yet his powerful strike from distance went a whisker wide of the right post.

It wasn’t the last from the Mainz midfielder, as he almost won it for Germany right at the death. However, the crossbar denied him a last-gasp winner.

As the game went into extra time, Carlsey made two more changes, introducing Ethan Nwaneri and Jonathan Rowe from the bench. And the latter wasted no time repaying the manager’s fate.

Only a minute since coming on, Rowe burst into the box to get on the end of Tyler Morton’s cross and put the ball behind Atubolu’s back.

Little did anyone know the Marseille striker’s goal in the first minute of extra time would decide the winner. However, Germany couldn’t find a way back into the match.

Besides Ansgar Knauff’s desperate attempt to draw a late penalty, which didn’t convince anyone, Di Salvo’s charges couldn’t find a way to take the game to penalties.

However, England had to survive a last-minute scare as Merlin Rohl smashed a thumping half-volley off the bar.

As a result, England upheld their near-perfect record in the Euros U21 finals, racking up their fourth win in five appearances.

It was Germany’s second defeat in three title-deciding fixtures since the 2019 edition.