England U21 vs Germany U21: Euro 2025 Final Preview & Prediction

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June 28, 2025 | 22:00 | Bratislava, Slovakia | Tehelné Pole Stadium
Euro 2025 U21 Championship Final

England U21 vs Germany U21

Suspensions: None

Injuries: Max Rosenfelder (Germany)

Doubtful: Harvey Elliott (England)

England U21: Aiming for Back-to-Back Glory

The Young Lions are gearing up for their second consecutive Euro U21 final. Two years ago, under current head coach Lee Carsley, England edged Spain 1-0 in the final thanks to Curtis Jones’ decisive strike. From that winning squad, only Harvey Elliott remains — the standout performer and top scorer for England in this tournament, netting four goals in five matches.

England's group stage performance was somewhat underwhelming. They started strong with a confident victory over the Czech Republic but were held to a goalless draw by Slovenia despite dominating possession. They then suffered a 1-2 loss to Germany, albeit fielding a rotated lineup. The quarterfinal against Spain proved dramatic: an obvious penalty for a handball by Charlie Cresswell was controversially overturned after VAR review. Shortly after, England broke the deadlock with a goal from captain James McAtee, doubling their lead through Elliott before the break. Spain managed to pull one back via a penalty but couldn’t close the gap as Elliott Anderson sealed the 3-1 win with a late spot-kick.

England’s semifinal opponents were the Netherlands, who had shocked Portugal despite playing with ten men in the previous round. However, the Dutch suffered key absences of Devine Rensch, Kenneth Taylor, and Ruben van Bommel, severely weakening their squad. Though they created chances and scored a scrappy goal following a defensive error by England, the Young Lions controlled much of the match and ultimately secured a 2-1 win. Elliott was the star once again, bagging a brace assisted by Anderson and Hayden Hackney.

Germany U21: Seeking a Fourth Final in Five Tournaments

Germany have reached the Euro U21 final four times in the past five editions, triumphing in 2017 and 2021 against Spain and Portugal, respectively, but losing out to Spain in 2019. They faltered in the last tournament hosted by Georgia and Romania, failing to progress beyond the group stage. However, they bounced back strongly this time, entering Euro 2025 as one of the favorites alongside England. Ironically, it was England who knocked them out in the playoffs last time, with Elliott scoring against them then too.

Despite the previous setback, Antonio Di Salvo remains at the helm. Germany avenged their earlier group stage defeat to England, beating them 2-1 with goals from Ansgar Knauff and Nelson Weiper after solid wins over Slovenia (3-0) and the Czech Republic (4-2).

The quarterfinal against Italy was a hard-fought encounter. Germany fell behind but equalized through Nick Woltemade, who was arguably the tournament’s best player, before assisting Weiper’s late goal. Italy forced extra time and even threatened a penalty shootout, but Merlin Rühl struck the decisive goal in the 117th minute, securing a 3-2 win.

In the semifinals against France, Germany capitalized early on defensive mistakes, with Weiper and Woltemade scoring. Though France fought back and created chances, they failed to score. Germany only converted one chance late on through Brian Gruda, who came off the bench, sealing a 3-0 victory.

Probable Lineups and Key Absences

England welcome back midfielder Tyler Morton from suspension, but Harvey Elliott’s participation remains uncertain after a knee injury sustained while celebrating his winning goal against the Netherlands. The medical staff will do everything to have him available for the final. Germany will miss their leading center-back Max Rosenfelder, who was injured early in the semifinal against France.

Final Prediction

This final lacks a clear favorite. Germany’s earlier group stage win was in a rotated match with little at stake. Coach Lee Carsley recently noted the team’s progress, emphasizing the importance of advancing as far as possible to defend their title. While the Young Lions aim to retain their crown, Germany have impressed with the most cohesive performances so far, drawing widespread respect.

Historically, three of the last four Euro U21 finals ended 1-0—with Germany winning twice and England once in such tight encounters. The remaining final finished 2-1. It’s likely a single goal will determine this showdown, but it seems improbable that the match will be low-scoring. Germany have scored at least twice in every knockout game, and England have generally been potent except against Slovenia. Expect an open battle with goals at both ends.

In terms of outcome, the author leans slightly toward Germany avoiding defeat in regular time rather than England securing victory outright. England have had their share of good fortune—controversial non-penalty calls and key Dutch absences—but now face a German side missing a crucial defender, which could swing the balance.