Tino Livramento and Young Lions retain Euros crown in dramatic fashion – England 3 Germany 2 | OneFootball

What a Saturday night for Tino Livramento and his England teammates.

A match full of incident ending England 3 Germany 2, after extra-time.

The win in Bratislava seeing the Young Lions retain the Under 21 Euros title won in 2023.

Lee Carsley also in charge those finals, as England crowned champions and two years ago Anthony Gordon named player of the tournament.

Germany had a 100 per cent record this month, winning all five games so far in this tournament taking place in Slovakia, including a 2-1 victory over England in the group stage.

However, it was Lee Carsley’s side who came out and dominated the first half. Germany with more possession but usually in non-dangerous areas, whereas when England attacked they did so with pace and purpose, repeatedly cutting the opposition open.

England could have already been ahead before the first goal came after just five minutes, Harvey Elliott making it five goals in these finals.

The Young Lions looked dangerous every time they attacked and when Omari Hutchinson made it 2-0 on 24 minutes, England looked capable of winning this with ease.

Football though, so often doesn’t work like that. England wasting opportunities to be three or four up at half-time and then the sucker punch, Weiper with an excellent header (poor marking in the middle of the England defence) just before the break.

When Nebel then equalised just after the hour mark, it was game on and could go either way.

The game ebbed and flowed but Nebel thought he had won it in the final seconds, only for the crossbar to come to the rescue.

Into extra-time and what proved to be the winner only two minutes into the extra 30, Tyler Morton crosses a great ball from the right and Jonathan Rowe dives to head (shoulder?) home.

Extra-time became about game management then and England largely did it very well.

Until the big moment, into added time of the second period of extra-time and Germany think they have equalised in the very final seconds (again!), only for the crossbar to do it’s job, again.

Jubilant celebrations as the final whistle goes and a real team effort has won the game and retained the Under 21 Euros.

James McAtee getting the official man of the match award, whilst Harvey Elliott deservedly winning player of the tournament.

BBC Sport visitors asked to rate the players as well for this England 3 Germany 2 match:

Lee Carsley had been using Tino Livramento on the left but then switched him to his favoured right side for the semi-final win over the Netherlands, keeping him there for this final against Germany.

The Newcastle United star was very good last night, as he has been all tournament. I would say England probably had a group of four or five stand out players and Tino one of them. Lee Carsley following Eddie Howe’s lead, using Livramento’s pace and ability to not only defend as we know he can, but to also get forward and operate in all kinds of attacking areas, both on the wing and moving more central.

Anthony Gordon following up his 2023 Euros win by becoming Newcastle United player of the season in 2023/24, what price Tino Livramento doing the same, buoyed by this extra success after winning the League Cup and qualifying for the Champions League with United?

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The only bittersweet issue of course, when watching last night’s match and the tournament overall, was seeing lifelong Newcastle fan (and former player…) Elliot Anderson playing so well for the England Under 21s….

BBC Sport asked the question earlier this week – How important is winning U21 Euros to future senior success?

BBC Sport report– 25 June 2025:

How important is winning U21 Euros to senior success?

How important is winning the competition? What do the winners usually go on to do?

Do the winners go on to have senior success?

Of the 24 teams to win the European Under-21 Championship, 10 of them have gone on to win either the World Cup or the senior Euros in the next 12 years.

Nine of those have featured players from that successful U21 squad.

Of course there is still time for Germany, winners in 2017 and 2021, and England in 2023 to do so.

Another five have reached a final in that time frame but lost.

1988 France (1998 World Cup)

1998 Spain (Euro 2008)

2009 Germany (2014 World Cup)

2011 Spain (Euro 2012)

2013, 2019 Spain (Euro 2024)