Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the European Under-21 Championship match.
Once again, England U21 have reached the final of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, and once again they face Germany U21—this time not in Nitra, but in Bratislava. In the group stage, the Germans came out on top with a 2:1 win.
England U21
England U21 have made it to the final of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, just as they did two years ago in Georgia. On that occasion, they suffered a narrow defeat to Spain U21 (0:1), but this time in Slovakia, they convincingly knocked out the same opponent in the quarter-finals with a 3:1 victory. In the semi-finals against the Netherlands U21, the team even managed to rotate their line-up slightly, giving several key players a rest. Despite this, it was one of the squad’s standout performers, Harvey Elliott, who settled the match with a brace. The only goal conceded by England U21 in the tournament so far came from an error, when goalkeeper James Beadle strayed too far from his line and was punished.
Germany U21
In the previous edition of the tournament, Germany U21 failed to advance past the group stage, finishing bottom with just a single point. England U21 were in the same group at the time and defeated them 2:0. In 2025, however, Germany U21 topped the group ahead of England U21, relying heavily on counter-attacking football. Their 2:1 group-stage win came from just five shots, two of which were on target—an impressive 100% conversion rate. In the quarter-finals, they needed 21 attempts to edge past Italy U21 in extra time (3:2). In the semi-finals, they were more efficient, taking 14 shots, and capitalised on a disorganised and sluggish France U21 defence to score three times.
England U21 vs Germany U21 Prediction
Slightly more confidence lies with England U21, though the market still suggests it's a high-risk option. All previous meetings between these sides have highlighted their vulnerability at the back, while both teams boast strong attacking units. As such, backing goals in this final appears to be the more reliable approach.
