Harvey Elliott scored twice to help reigning champions England overcome the Netherlands 2-1 on Wednesday, setting up a final showdown with Germany at the Under-21 European Championship.
England, coached by Lee Carsley, aim to defend their title but face a tough challenge from Germany, who cruised to a 3-0 victory over France in the second semi-final held in Slovakia.
Liverpool midfielder Elliott opened the scoring shortly after the hour mark, redeeming himself after missing two earlier chances. However, Dutch substitute Noah Ohio, who had previously represented England at Under-16 level, equalised with a long-range strike in the 72nd minute.
Elliott restored England’s lead with just four minutes left, deftly cutting inside before placing a precise shot into the bottom corner to secure victory.
In the other semi-final, Germany took an early lead through Nelson Weiper in the eighth minute against France. Stuttgart forward Nick Woltemade added a second goal on 15 minutes after capitalising on a rebound.
Despite numerous opportunities to extend their lead during the second half, Germany finally sealed their 3-0 win with a stoppage-time goal from Brighton’s Brajan Gruda.
