Germany joined by Belarus

Germany, who reached the 2005 UEFA European Under-19 Championship semi-finals, began their latest campaign by winning qualifying round Group 10, but another of last season's contenders in Northern Ireland, Greece, were pipped to the Elite round by Belarus.

Greece start well
Greece did make a good start on Matchday 1 in Herford against the Netherlands. Evander Sno struck for the Dutch two minutes in but Socratis Papastathopoulos claimed two goals late in the half to make it 2-1 at the break. Kostas Mitroglou increased the lead in the 50th minute, and the Netherlands could only pull one back through Luigi Bruins.

Family connection
Group hosts Germany then defeated Belarus 6-2 in Gutersloh, Raman Volkau put Belarus into an eleventh-minute lead, but Abdenour Amachaibou equalised in the 24th minute and Fabian Schönheim put Germany ahead two minutes later. Patrick Ebert took only one second-half minute to score Germany's third, and although Yauheni Snapko quickly reduced arrears, Amachaibou then found the target for the home nation. The victory was sealed late on with a goal from substitute Faton Toski and a penalty converted by Jerome Boateng, whose elder brother Kevin-Prince played for Germany in the 2005 U19 finals.

Verl draw
Belarus, aiming to match the feat of their 2004/05 U17 squad and qualify for the finals, were not disheartened, though, and three days later held the Dutch 0-0 in Verl. That meant that in Warendorf both Germany and Greece knew victory in Warendorf would seal first place with a game to spare, and like the Greeks' opener it proved to be a five-goal thriller.

Germany through
Mitroglou struck first 14 minutes in, but Rouwen Hennings equalised soon after. With three minutes left in the half Mitroglou restored the Greek lead, only for Hennings to level again almost immediately. And in the 48th minute Timo Kunert put Germany 3-2 ahead, and a Greece side containing three of last season's finals squad - goalkeeper Dimitris Sotiriou, defender Stefanos Siontis and midfielder Christos Aravidis - could find no way back.

Dutch denied
On the final day, the Netherlands knew only victory against the Germans would give them hope of a place in the Elite round draw, and began in the right manner in Ahlen, Eljero Elia scoring on 36 and 52 minutes. However, the mini-tournament hosts came back to draw 2-2 with goals from Timur Özgöz and Marc Kruska, the latter four minutes from the end.

Belarussian joy
Whatever the result in the other decider, Greece knew a draw against Belarus in Lippstadt would take them though. But although Mitroglou swiftly cancelled out Sergei Gigevich's 19th-minute opener, the Belarussian midfielder scored again just before the half-hour and his side held on to win 2-1, Greece having Kostas Kaznaferis sent off five minutes from the end - roughly the time Germany were scoring the equaliser that meant the Netherlands finished below the former Soviet republic on goal difference. Greece cannot now qualify as the best third-placed team.