Two in a row for England Under-21s

Lee Carsley leads his Young Lions side to European Under-21 Championship glory in Bratislava two years after success in Georgia

- LUKAS VRABLIK

The final of the 2025 European Under-21 Championship brought a lot of exciting moments and tension, with plenty of talented players on display for both sides. But it was a goal in the second minute of extra-time by Jonathan Rowe, the Marseille forward, that ultimately handed England a 3-2 victory and the trophy.

Germany desperately chased the third goal, but the closest they came was Merlin Rohl's shot rattling the crossbar with just seconds remaining. Then, it was time to celebrate for England as they lifted the trophy again – just as they had done in Batumi, Georgia in 2023.

"I suppose the challenge now is to do it again in two years," said head coach Lee Carsley, who recently signed a new contract keeping him in post until 2027, after the game. "Funnily enough, on Saturday I got the new squad of players that are potentially available for the next campaign so I'm not thinking about moving on too quickly."

Popular among his players, Carsley has cultivated a winning mentality among his squad, as match-winner Rowe confirmed: "The belief factor was the main thing," he said.

That mentality was called upon when Germany recovered from going 2-0 down in the first half to level the scores in the second half. But Carsley remained calm and encouraged his players to rise to the occasion in extra-time.

"I felt that we were on top in extra-time and I felt you just want to give them that belief to go and attack them. Try to score, don't try to hold on. Go for it and if you get caught and lose the game, that's fine.