Under-21 Group B: England vs Germany facts

Old rivals England and Germany cross paths again at the Nitra Stadium as UEFA European Under-21 Championship Group B comes to a close.

The pair occupy the top two positions in the section with Germany already through on six points, two ahead of holders England; Slovenia have one point with Czechia yet to get off the mark.

England opened with a 3-1 defeat of Czechia before being held to a goalless draw by Slovenia; the latter result allowed Germany to climb above them in the section having followed their opening 3-0 win against Slovenia with a 4-2 success against Czechia that sealed their place in the quarter-finals.

Previous European U21 Championship meetings

Matches 12
England wins 5
Germany wins 2
Draws 5
England goals 19
Germany goals 16

England ended Germany's interest in the 2023 finals, early goals from Cameron Archer (4) and Harvey Elliott (21) earning a 2-0 Matchday 3 victory at the Batumi Arena on 28 June 2023 that made it three wins out of three in Group C and left Germany bottom of the section.

Germany had prevailed in the sides' previous competitive meeting, winning 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in the 2017 semi-finals. Davie Selke gave Germany a 35th-minute lead only for strikes either side of half-time from Demarai Gray (41) and Tammy Abraham (50) to turn the match in England's favour. Felix Platte made it 2-2 with 20 minutes remaining and misses from Abraham and Nathan Redmond proved crucial in the shoot-out.

England have not lost any of the teams' six U21 EURO qualifying fixtures, winning three and drawing three.

England recorded a 3-0 aggregate win in the play-offs ahead of the 2007 tournament. Leighton Baines' goal gave England a 1-0 lead to take into the second leg in Germany, where Theo Walcott struck twice to help England progress to the finals.

In the tournament itself, however, Germany were unbeaten (W1 D2) – with that 2017 semi-final classed as a draw – prior to their defeat two years ago.

The teams met in the 2009 final in Malmö, Sweden. Gonzalo Castro (23), Mesut Özil (48) and Sandro Wagner (79, 84) got the goals in a 4-0 victory for Horst Hrubesch's Germany.

The teams had also previously met in the group stage in Sweden, playing out a 1-1 draw.

England triumphed 5-4 on aggregate in the two-legged final in 1982. After a 3-1 win at Bramall Lane, Sheffield, in late September, England clung on in the return in Bremen in mid-October despite a Pierre Littbarski hat-trick giving West Germany a 3-2 victory.

Paul Wanner opened the scoring as Germany lost 2-3 at home to England in an Under-20 friendly on 20 November 2023.

Samuel Iling-Junior had got both goals in England's 2-0 win at home to Germany in a U20 friendly on 22 March 2023.

James McAtee scored England's second goal in a 3-1 U20 friendly victory at home to Germany on 29 March 2022.

Form guide

England

This is England's tenth successive final tournament campaign – the longest ongoing sequence in the competition – and a 12th overall; they last missed out in 2006.

A team coached by Lee Carsley claimed England's first U21 title in 39 years in 2023, finishing first in Group C on a maximum nine points before beating Portugal (1-0), Israel (3-0) and, in the final, Spain (1-0), the latter through a Curtis Jones goal with James Trafford saving a late penalty.

Carsley's side qualified for these finals as Group F winners (W8 D1 L1), their 41 goals more than any other side. A 3-2 loss against runners-up Ukraine was their first away qualifying defeat in 12 years.

Harvey Elliott – another member of the victorious 2023 squad – was England's top scorer in qualifying on seven goals.

The Matchday 2 draw against Slovenia ended England's run of eight successive final tournament victories.

Champions in 1982 and 1984, England also reached four further semi-finals in the first six editions of the European U21 Championship.

Germany

This is Germany's 11th appearance in the final tournament and a seventh in succession. They reached the semi-finals or better in four successive tournaments between 2015 and 2021.

Germany claimed their third U21 title in 2021, when they equalled Italy's record of reaching a third successive final, having also lifted the trophy in 2009 and 2017.

Two years ago a team coached by Antonio Di Salvo – in charge since 2021 – failed to progress beyond the group stage for the first time since 2013, finishing bottom of Group C behind England, Israel and Czechia having not won a game (D1 L2).

Germany were unbeaten in qualifying for these finals (W8 D2), finishing four points above runners-up Poland in Group D.

Youssoufa Moukoko was Germany's top scorer in qualifying on six goals.

Having hit only the seventh hat-trick in U21 EURO history on Matchday 1 and also found the net against Czechia, Nick Woltemade is the finals' top scorer on four goals.

Links and trivia

Have played in England:
Brajan Gruda (Brighton 2024–)
Bright Arrey-Mbi (Norwich 2014–19, Chelsea 2019/20)

Have played together:
Jack Hinshelwood & Brajan Gruda (Brighton 2024–)

Ansgar Knauff got the opener as Eintracht Frankfurt won 2-1 at West Ham in the 2021/22 UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg, and also set up the only goal of the home return.