Lee Carsley said this week that achieving back-to-back European titles at under-21 level could help to enhance the reputation of British coaches, not to mention this group of young England players. An impressive quarter-final victory over a Spain side who were the pre-tournament favourites and intent on dishing out revenge will certainly not have done either any harm.
After Englandstruggled to reach the last eightwith an inexperienced squad that is one of the youngest in Slovakia, goals from James McAtee and Harvey Elliott – both of whom have uncertain futures at their clubs – and a late penalty from Elliot Anderson sealed another triumph for Carsley over the same opponents England saw offin the 2023 final. With the Netherlands up next in Wednesday’s semi-final in Bratislava, he is now two matches away from matching Dave Sexton’s feat of winning this competition in 1982 and 1984.
“In the first half we were so good,” said Carsley. “The big thing is this can’t be our final – there’s better nights to come.”
Spain have become regular opponents for England in the latter stages of various youth tournaments over recent years, although only their coach, Santi Denia, remained from their bad-tempered defeat in the final two years ago, when when both sides had a member of the coaching staff and a player sent off. There were similar scenes in Trnava at the final whistle as tempers flared between the benches but it was a reflection of how England had frustrated Spain after they pulled back a goal from Javi Guerra’s penalty late in the first half.
“There was a major difference from start to finish: we were disciplined and compact,” said Elliott, who along with Charlie Cresswell is the only surviving member of the 2023 triumph in Georgia. “We trusted in our own ability. The football was incredible, we need to take a lot from this into the next game.”
Carsley’s side looked like they might be overwhelmed in the first two minutes when Diego López headed over from close range and the Italian referee, Simone Sozza, pointed to the spot for the first time after a powerful shot from López struck Cresswell on the arm. But the video assistant referee saw it differently and – to the Toulouse defender’s relief as he pumped his fist in celebration – the penalty was overturned.
That proved to be the wake-up call England needed. McAtee looks likely to leave Manchester City this summer, having been allowed to play here rather than travel to the Club World Cup, and showed his eye for goal when he was quickest to react after Spain made a hash of clearing Alex Scott’s corner.
Jarell Quansah was the architect of the second after Birmingham’s Jay Stansfield, leading the line one of four changes from the defeat to Germany in midweek, forced a loose pass. The Liverpool defender is on the verge of joining Bayer Leverkusen for £30m, while Elliott’s future at Anfield is also in question following the arrival of Florian Wirtz from the German club. But when Quansah strode forward and unleashed a shot that was not convincingly saved, Elliott was on hand to turn in the rebound. Suddenly England were rampant.
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Spain looked dazed and were grateful to be handed a lifeline from the spot. Scott gave the ball away in a dangerous area and when Quansah tripped Alberto Moleiro, this time there was no debate as Guerra swept home the penalty.
England looked determined to finish the job at the start of the second half but Stansfield’s touch let him down following another surging run from Quansah and his shot deflected over, with Cresswell heading the corner inches wide. There were hearts in mouths when a cross from the right fizzed across the six-yard area but Cresswell came to England’s rescue with an acrobatic clearance.
Spain continued to press for an equaliser and Jack Hinshelwood could have settled Carsley’s nerves had he directed a free header from Anderson’s cross on target rather than over the crossbar. But when the substitute Jonathan Rowe was brought down by Alejandro Iturbe in injury time, Anderson made no mistake with his penalty, before an ugly confrontation in which members of Spain’s coaching staff had to be separated from their England counterparts.