James McAtee, Harvey Elliott and Elliot Anderson inspire England to a famous win over Spain, writes NATHAN SALT, as Under-21's reach Euros semi-finals
Three years ago it was here in Trnava where England's Under-19's clinched the European Championships and on Saturday night Lee Carsley 's Under-21's side produced another famous night by downing Spain 3-1 to reach the semi-finals.
England won this tournament in Georgia two years ago but had flattered to deceive in the tournament so far, stumbling out of the groups and they arrived here as underdogs, not that any of the players agreed.
While only two players from that triumphant Under-19s group started here, this group showed every bit of the championship DNA they need if they are to go all the way to defend their title next weekend in Bratislava.
Carsley told some home truths to his players after they lost their final group game 2-1 to Germany and he shuffled his pack with four changes here.
In came captain James McAtee and Tino Livramento, while Tyler Morton and Jay Stansfield received their first starts of the tournament. It was bold from Carsley to take Elliot Anderson and Ethan Nwaneri, two of England's brightest players at these Euros, out of the side.
Less than 90 seconds in it looked like it would be a case of deja vu for Carsley and his players when Italian referee Simone Souza pointed to the spot for a handball on Charlie Cresswell.
Germany took the lead three minutes in and here were Spain with the chance to punish England inside two minutes, only for VAR to intervene and overturn.
That was a game-changing moment for England, who looked a team transformed in the immediate aftermath of the non-penalty award.
They found a way to dominate possession, Morton and Alex Scott doing a brilliant job at passing it around frustrated Spanish markers and 10 minutes in England got their reward.
Scott's whipped in corner was inadvertently flicked on at the near post by a Spanish head and it was McAtee who reacted quickest to the loose ball, firing into the corner from eight yards out.
Carsley and his staff kept their cool, nothing had been won with another 80 minutes remaining.
But even they allowed themselves a chance to celebrate when five minutes later they were two goals in front.
This time Jarrell Quansah, who is on the brink of sealing a move from Liverpool to Bayer Leverkusen, strode forward purposefully into midfield and then the edge of the box before unleashing a fizzing low drive at goal.
Spanish goalkeeper Alejandro Iturbe spilled the shot and before he had chance to gather at the second attempt Harvey Elliott had raced in to score and had wheeled off in celebration. England found themselves in dreamland.
MATCH FACTS FROM TRNAVA
ENGLAND (4-2-2-2): Beadle 7; Livramento 7, Cresswell 7, Quansah 6, Hinshelwood 6; Scott 6 (Anderson 52, 6.5), Morton 7; Hutchinson 7 (Rowe 52, 6), Elliott 7 (Norton-Cuffy 70); Stansfield 6.5 (Nwaneri 82), McAtee 7.5 (Hackney 70)
Goals: McAtee (10), Elliott (15), Anderson (90+3 pen)
Booked: Morton, Rowe
SPAIN (4-2-3-1): Iturbe; Pubill, Tarrega, Mosquera, Bueno; Turrientes (Jaureguizar 57), Guerra; Juanlu (Moro 57), Moleiro, Lopez (Fernandez 71); Joseph (Torre 71)
Goals: Guerra (39 pen)
ATT: 8,247
So, for England to head into the break only one goal up instead of two, and for it to have been their own sloppiness that brought on a Spain goal, will have wrangled.
Scott was far too casual on the edge of his own box and having been robbed of possession, Alberto Moleiro skipped inside and was fouled by the outstretched leg of Quansah. Penalty. No need for VAR this time.
Javi Guerra waited for James Beadle to dive the other way and he coolly slotted in to reduce the deficit at 2-1. Game on.
Spain rallied, as England knew they would, and Guerra had two bites at the apple to draw them level on the hour mark when Raul Moro's cutback found him unmarked in the area, only this time Beadle came up huge for England with two reactionary saves.
Carsley challenged his players to show they are up for the fight after being turned over too lightly against Germany and bodies were on the line late on here.
Charlie Cresswell, who was outstanding on the night, made some huge blocks as Spain continued to send the artillery towards Beadle in goal.
England really should have given themselves breathing room when substitute Anderson found an unmarked Jack Hinshelwood six yards out, only for him to head over with 15 minutes left on the clock.
That parity came in stoppage time when a frantic Iturbe raced out of his goal aimlessly and was late to the ball after Jonathan Rowe, sent on from the bench, got their first. Penalty England, confidently dispatched by Anderson.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Test Match Breakfast: Headingley has a new hero and how Shubman Gill broke the rules
Test Match Breakfast takes a look at some of the biggest issues around cricket during England's huge first Test against India at Headingley. England fought back with an Ollie Pope century, ending day two at 209-3, after India dominated day one. Ahead of day three, DAVID COVERDALE discusses Headingley's new hero, Rishabh Pant's stunning celebrations and why India captain Shubman Gill's attire sparked plenty of conversation Headingley's new hero After being given the backing of Ben Stokes and England, Ollie Pope has also now won over the hard-to-please folk of Yorkshire. It was notable that the Surrey star was serenaded by fans at Headingley on Saturday as he neared his century, even if his song of 'Ollie, Ollie Pope' lacked creativity. There was even the sighting of a group of blokes dressed in pope costumes in the Western Terrace. It appears Headingley has a new hero. Crowd-pleaser Rishabh Pant celebrates in style... again Rishabh Pant produced perhaps the most elaborate century celebration in Test match history when he performed a somersault in the middle. 'Rishabh's celebration is as entertaining as his batting!' wrote India icon Sachin Tendulkar on X. However, it is not the first time crowd-pleaser Pant has celebrated in such style. The India wicketkeeper also marked his 54-ball hundred for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL last month with a front flip, a moment which went viral. It appears Pant's party trick is here to stay – and cricket is all the better for it. Shubman Gill breaks the rules... with his socks Shubman Gill's black socks provoked plenty of conversation on the first day of the Test. 'Very natty,' commented Mail Sport columnist David 'Bumble' Lloyd, while Mark Butcher called them 'village'. It now turns out, however, that the India captain actually broke ICC rules by wearing them. The global governing body's clothing regulations state that players are only permitted to wear white, cream or light grey socks in Test matches. Sanctions for breaching the rules include a formal warning or a deduction of up to 20 per cent of the player's match fee. Someone clearly had a word in Gill's ear on Friday night, as he resumed his innings on Saturday wearing white socks. Karun Nair's unhappy return A penny for the thoughts of Karun Nair. The India batsman – who hit an unbeaten 303 against England in 2016 - has had to wait seven years for another Test chance. Yet having watched three of his team-mates hit centuries in India's first innings, when Nair got his long-awaited opportunity at the crease, he was dismissed for a fourth-ball duck. Mark Wood on commentary duty Mark Wood is a man in demand here at Headingley. The injured England bowler will not be available to play against India until the final Test at best. However, Wood has been making the most of his time away from the middle by trying his hand at commentary. The 35-year-old was part of the BBC Test Match Special team on Friday. Then on Saturday, he switched from radio commentary to TV, calling an international match on Sky Sports for the first time. The charismatic Wood, who also hosts his own podcast, has long been one of the most media-friendly players in the England dressing room. And the Durham paceman is sure to have plenty of offers of work when he hangs up his bowling boots in the not-too-distant future. Harry Brook left in a heap Getting roughed up by the India bowlers is one thing. Taking a blow from your own team-mate is another. Harry Brook was minding his own business when Ben Duckett fielded Pant's edge off Shoaib Bashir. But when Duckett picked the ball up and rifled it towards the stumps, Brook was in the direct path of the throw and was struck flush on his back, leaving him in a heap. England players initially looked concerned, while India's stars winced up on the Headingley balcony. Fortunately, Brook was soon back on his feet and laughing about the incident, even if he did rush off the field for treatment. Ben Stokes eats rabbit pie For Josh Tongue, it was the feast after the famine. Having toiled away without success on Friday, the England quick picked up four quick wickets to mop up India's tail on Saturday. When Tongue clean bowled No11 Prasidh Krishna to end India's first innings, his captain Ben Stokes mimicked an eating motion, leaving commentators confused. It was left to Broad on Sky Sports to explain that Stokes' gesture meant 'eating rabbit pie', i.e. knocking over the lower order. Dickie Bird's golden anniversary Yorkshire legend Dickie Bird was given a huge ovation by the Headingley crowd when he was shown on the big screen during the second day's play. The iconic umpire's appearance here was not significant in itself - he always takes his seat in the pavilion during an England Test match. It was, though, a special day for Bird as July 21 marked the 50th anniversary of the first-ever Cricket World Cup final at Lord's, which he umpired
Rhyl Journal
2 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
England reach last four of European Under-21 Championship after beating Spain
The Young Lions, who next face the Netherlands, benefited from an early let-off after a VAR check resulted in an overturned penalty. Captain James McAtee opened the scoring in the 10th minute and Harvey Elliott netted his second goal of the tournament five minutes later. What a win. What a performance. OUR #YOUNGLIONS ARE INTO THE #U21EURO SEMI-FINALS! 👏 — England (@England) June 21, 2025 Javi Guerra clawed a goal back for Spain with a 39th-minute penalty, but substitute Elliot Anderson's own spot-kick in second-half stoppage time assured Lee Carsley's men of their spot in the final four. England got off to an unsteady start as Spain thought they won a penalty when Charlie Cresswell – looking like he was trying to get out of the way – was penalised with a handball by on-field referee Simone Sozza. The Italian was called to the monitor by his VAR compatriot, and England breathed a sigh of relief when the call was overturned. McAtee opened the scoring from an Alex Scott corner after a flick-on by Omari Hutchinson. Spain got a touch, but only in the direction of the alert England skipper, who turned home from close range. A big quarter-final performance from the England captain ©️🏴#U21POTM | #U21EURO — UEFA Men's Youth (@UEFAMensYouth) June 21, 2025 Elliott doubled England's advantage five minutes later, tapping in the rebound after Spain goalkeeper Alejandro Iturbe spilled a save from Jarell Quansah's long-range effort. England gifted Spain another chance from 12 yards, however, after losing the ball deep inside their own third, exacerbating the error when Quansah, who dangled a leg, caught Alberto Moleiro and Sozza immediately pointed to the spot. Guerra stepped up and halved the deficit after coolly sending James Beadle the wrong way. Some great work from Quansah and Hutchinson after the restart nearly set up Jay Stansfield, who saw his effort deflect over, shortly before Cresswell nodded a corner into the side-netting. Beadle twice denied Guerra then gathered up a Mateo Joseph effort, while England were still in search of a first shot on target since Elliott's goal with 20 minutes remaining after Morton fired just wide. Jack Hinshelwood should have extended England's lead but he mistimed a free header over the crossbar. England hit Spain, who were searching for a late equaliser, on the counter when Iturbe was punished for bringing down Jonathan Rowe inside the penalty area, which Anderson slotted home to seal victory.
Rhyl Journal
2 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
We deserve it so much – Harvey Elliott hails England's quarter-final victory
The Young Lions benefited from an early let-off after a VAR check resulted in an overturned penalty before captain James McAtee netted a 10th minute opener, Elliott scored five minutes later and substitute Elliot Anderson added a penalty in second-half stoppage time. Javi Guerra's 39th-minute penalty denied a clean sheet for the defending champions, but it was nevertheless a splendid night for Lee Carsley's men, who face the Netherlands in the final four on Wednesday. What a win. What a performance. OUR #YOUNGLIONS ARE INTO THE #U21EURO SEMI-FINALS! 👏 — England (@England) June 21, 2025 'Incredible. Lost for words, I think,' said Elliott. 'I said at the start of the game it was going to be very tough, they're going to play an incredible game against us, but I thought the way the lads handled it, handled the pressure, conceding a goal and being determined to keep on going, keep on fighting, we deserve it so much. 'Now it's kind of time to celebrate, but we need to think about the semis now. Celebrate, recover, rest, go again.' Tyler Morton will miss the last-four clash through suspension after he was booked against Spain, while Napoli's Rafa Marin saw red before a post-match scuffle broke out between the sides. Elliott added: 'It was always going to happen. I think it's just passion from both teams, it's just one of them. I was trying to calm everyone down, because at the end of the day we have everything to lose. They don't if they get sent off. 'We have to focus now, we can't get too carried away, we can't lose players for the semi-final.' Manchester City midfielder McAtee was more subdued than his team-mate, adding: 'We're over the moon, but the focus is the semi-final now. We're happy about the win, but we need to switch focus.' England boss Carsley was delighted by the way his men responded after nearly conceding a penalty in the early stages of the first half. 'We talked about getting a fast start and to give the penalty away after a minute, obviously then going to VAR – the lads showed a lot of character,' Carsley said. Through to the semis! 💪 — England (@England) June 21, 2025 'I thought the first half we were so good. I was saying before the game, I think the longer we can stay in, the more fluid we will become. Some really outstanding performances and they should be proud of themselves.' England will now get some much-needed rest and a day off before turning to their semi-final tie. Carsley added: 'The big thing is this can't be our final. This can't be our highlight of the competition, there's better nights to come.'
