Juniors reprise Anglo-German rivalry

The small town of Bekkestua in the municipality of Bærum, 15 minutes' drive from Oslo, will witness the resumption of one of European football's great rivalries tonight as England take on Germany in the sides' opening Group B game of the first UEFA European Under-19 Championship. At the same time (18.00CET), several kilometres to the south-west, the Republic of Ireland and Belgium will also begin their campaigns in Drammen.

Psychological edge
Ipswich Town FC's Darren Bent scored twice on his home ground of Portman Road when England beat Germany 3-1 earlier this year in a friendly. That game may give England a slight psychological edge ahead of this evening's encounter, even though Bent and England's other goalscorer that night, Lionel Morgan, are not in Norway.

Focus on Pennant and Jenas
However, Crewe Alexandra FC's Dean Ashton, the architect of Germany's downfall in Ipswich with two assists and a superb overall performance, is in the party and could have a significant say on the outcome of the match. Much attention will also inevitably focus on England's Jermain Pennant and Jermaine Jenas, two players who have already been signed for multimillion fees in their burgeoning careers and have large expectations on their shoulders.

Germany depose champions
After cruising through their qualifying group, England struggled to subdue Lithuania in the intermediate round, drawing 1-1 in Kaunas before edging the underdogs 2-1 in Nottingham in the second leg. The Germans were impressive qualifiers, coming through a tough group that also included Sweden and Turkey without losing a single game, racking up eleven goals in four games along the way. They then disposed of reigning U18 champions Poland on away goals in the intermediate round, drawing 0-0 in Gütersloh before a 2-2 draw in Gdynia secured their place in the finals.

Daunting experience
Germany coach Uli Stielike was no stranger to success as a player – winning league championships in three countries as well as a UEFA Cup and the UEFA European Championship with West Germany in 1980. Monday's game will see him pit his wits against England coach Martin Hunter, whose experience in youth football is daunting – having coached at every level from U16 to U20, and been assistant coach of the England side that finished third in the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1993.

Physical game
Marcel Sheid, who headed Germany's only goal in the friendly between the two, will be hopeful of starting again and giving England's defence an aerial headache in what seems sure to be a physical encounter. Germany will also be relying on two English-based players, Chelsea FC's Sebastian Kneissl and Arsenal FC's Moritz Volz to bring their experience to bear on proceedings if picked.

Important encounter
Monday's other Group B game between Ireland and Belgium in the Marienlyst stadium in the city of Drammen, may have been somewhat overshadowed by the hoopla surrounding the heavyweight clash in Bekkestua, but it is no less important an encounter.

Irish pedigree
Ireland have a splendid youth pedigree in recent years, due in no small part to the efforts of current U19 coach Brian Kerr, who led his country to victory in the 1998 U16 and U18 European Championship events as well as third place in the FIFA Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia in 1997. The Irish were among the most impressive qualifiers for the finals, winning all three group games, scoring eight times in three games and conceding just one goal, before overcoming the Netherlands in the intermediate round.

Sparkling Belgium
However the Irish will underestimate the Belgians at their peril. The Red Devils held their nerve superbly throughout the qualifying stages, winning their final group game 3-0 against main rivals Romania to edge a tight group by a single point. They then overcame Greece in the intermediate round, a sparkling 4-1 home win putting them on their way to a comfortable 6-2 aggregate win.

Blondel one to watch
Additionally, in Jonathan Blondel, who recently left R. Excelsior Mouscron for England's Tottenham Hotspur FC, they have a young midfield player of rare poise and ability while coach Marc van Geersom has considerable expertise at youth levels, as well as ten years of top-flight Belgian playing experience under his belt.

Attacking game in prospect
With games against England and Germany still on the horizon for both these sides, an open attacking game seems virtually assured as the three points on offer for a win would put either country within one decent result of progressing to the final or the third-place play-off – particularly if the Germany-England game ends in a draw, which is possible given how little there is to choose between the sides.