Germany Draws Inspiration from England’s Winning Formula as Young Lions Search for a Way Forward

It was just two years ago that a significantly altered England side triumphed over Germany 2-0 in Georgia, paving their way to victory in the Under-21 European Championships.

Fast forward to 2025, and the situation was flipped. Germany, having rested their starting XI, secured a 2-1 win against the Young Lions, with Ansgar Knauff and Nelson Weiper sealing the deal, while Alex Scott netted a last-minute consolation goal.

However, the contrasts don’t end there. In 2023, Germany faced early elimination in the group stages, while this time they advanced as group winners. England, who were nearly through before the match even commenced—barring any unforeseen disasters—qualified in second place and now look ahead to a quarter-final clash against Spain on Saturday. Meanwhile, a well-rested Germany will take on Italy in Dunajska Streda on Sunday.

Two players remained from that victorious German encounter in Georgia: Charlie Cresswell and Harvey Elliott. It was Cresswell who rallied his teammates after a lacklustre first half.

Cresswell Inspires as England Struggles

“Show some passion!” shouted the centre-back with just five minutes remaining in the first half. Soon after, the Nitra stadium experienced a floodlight outage—a fitting symbol for an England team that had difficulty creating scoring opportunities.

The strikerless formation that manager Lee Carsley opted to stick with, despite a goalless draw against Slovenia, was abandoned at halftime. Jay Stansfield was introduced in the second half in an attempt to galvanise England’s attack, yet he failed to ignite the spark, misfiring with all three of his attempts on goal.

However, the tactical shift allowed England’s midfielders to push higher up the pitch and apply pressure on Germany’s backline. This change paid off in the closing stages, with Scott scoring a close-range tap-in to rekindle some hope.

Cresswell came agonisingly close to evening the score late in the game, echoing his earlier calls for urgency, but his header was superbly saved by Tjark Ernst.

England’s Upcoming Challenge Against Spain

With their primary goal of qualification achieved in Slovakia, England’s focus now shifts to the weekend, where they will face a Spain team that, much like Germany, opted for an extensive rotation during their draw with Italy on Tuesday.

Carsley made only three alterations for Wednesday’s fixture, and given the demanding schedule of three matches over six days, this lack of recovery time may prove significant against Spain.

Nevertheless, the critical concern for England’s coaching staff will be unlocking the potential of their standout player, Elliott, who has yet to find his rhythm during this tournament, while also devising a strategy to overcome opposition defences.