GERMANY HAMMER ENGLAND TO BE CROWNED EUROPEAN UNDER-21 CHAMPIONS

Germany Under-21 4-0 England Under-21

Germany won the European Under-21 title this evening in Malmo. Mesut Ozil inspired Horst Hrubesch's side to a 4-0 success with a virtuoso display of playmaking football.
Two of world football’s greatest rivals produced a hard-fought and entertaining European Under-21 final, with the tenacious Germans edging out England, mainly thanks to the offensive excellence of Mesut Ozil, who scored one goal and created others for Gonzalo Castro and Sandro Wagner. Wagner would then bag his second late on with a fine long-range drive as Horst Hrubesch’s side outdid Stuart Pearce’s men 4-0. For their part, England enjoyed a great deal of the ball and threatened resistance midway through the second half, but ultimately lacked a threat in front of goal.

It was a depleted England side, shorn of strikers Gabriel Agbonlahor and Fraizer Campbell, in addition to goalkeeper Joe Hart, due to suspensions, who started the game in the more positive manner. The verve that the Young Lions enjoyed in the opening stages produced early opportunities for Martin Cranie, who knocked a header from a dangerous James Milner free kick wide, and Theo Walcott, who drilled off-target from an inclement angle after making a sharp burst into the right channel.

Walcott and Milner would prove to be England’s most productive players in a first half that they would eventually lose, despite dominating possession of the ball. Too often the Young Lions had more style than substance to their play, frequently looking more technically able than their opponents, but lacking physical muscle up front to make serious inroads into the stereotypically well-organised German defence.

There were flashes of offensive inspiration from Stuart Pearce’s men, although Walcott was well marshalled by Mats Hummels, who produced three well-timed challenges on the Arsenal man just as he approached the danger-zone. A superb turn from Milner, who had already flashed a dangerous ball across the goalmouth, suddenly opened up the German defence after 28 minutes. A further touch took the Aston Villa man away from Benedikt Hoewedes , but Jerome Boateng was smartly across to clear the danger.