The England U21s and Germany U21s faced off in a highly anticipated UEFA European Under-21 Championship final on Saturday, June 28, 2025, in Bratislava, Slovakia. Both teams aimed to secure their fourth U21 Euro title, with England looking to defend their crown from two years prior.
The match kicked off at 8pm BST and was available for live viewing in the UK on Channel 4 and via live stream on UEFA.TV.
Team News and Starting Lineups
Both managers, Lee Carsley for England and Antonio Di Salvo for Germany, opted for experienced lineups.
England's starting XI was:
Germany's starting XI was:
Germany was forced to make a late change, with Tim Oermann replacing Max Rosenfelder due to injury. Brajan Gruda, who scored in the semi-final, returned to the lineup. Carsley kept the same starting XI that won against the Netherlands in the semi-final.
Match Updates
The first half was action-packed, ending with England leading 2-1. Harvey Elliott scored early, followed by a goal from Omari Hutchinson. Germany responded with a goal from Nelson Weiper just before halftime. In the 61st minute, Nebel scored a brilliant equaliser to level the score. The match concluded with a 2-2 draw after regular time, sending the final into extra time.
Key Players
Harvey Elliott, who plays for Liverpool, was a standout performer for England, having scored five goals in the tournament. Nick Woltemade, with six goals, was a key player for Germany. Jarell Quansah, heading to Bayer Leverkusen, faced many players he would encounter in the Bundesliga. James Beadle has been a consistent presence in goal for England throughout the tournament.
Background
England aimed to win back-to-back U21 European Championships, a feat they last achieved in 1982 and 1984. Germany, however, had already defeated England 2-1 in the group stage and were confident. Germany holds the distinction of being the only team to have defeated England in the tournament.
