Perfect Spain surge into finals

Spain confirmed themselves as strong contenders to win their third UEFA European Under-19 Championship in five years as they qualified with a perfect record by defeating Germany.

Victory confirmed
Having already overcome Sweden 4-0 and Cyprus 8-1 on home soil in Elite round Group 7, Spain needed only a draw to pip opponents who had also won both their matches but by smaller margins. But Ginés Meléndez's team wanted victory and Jeffrén Suárez put Spain into a fifth-minute lead. The score remained 1-0 at half-time but two minutes into the second period Alberto Bueno doubled the lead, and although Daniel Halfar pulled one back soon after, Suárez struck again to confirm Spain's place in the draw in Poznan on 5 June.

French absent
There they will aim to match the triumphs of their 2002 and 2004 squads and the current lineup, many of who were part of the team that were runners-up in the U17 finals two years ago, will be well aware that the only team to beat them in that tournament, France, have failed to reach Poland.