Euro Under-21 Championship
Germany U21Germany U211Spain U21Spain U210

Germany U21 1-0 Spain U21

Germany celebrate
Germany won the European Under-21 Championship with a number of their players on duty with the senior side at the Confederations Cup

Germany won their second European Under-21 Championship with victory over four-time champions Spain in Poland.

Mitchell Weiser's superb, looping first-half header was enough to give the Germans a first title since 2009.

Spain, looking to win the competition for the third time in its past four stagings, went closest to an equaliser when Saul Niguez's effort was saved.

But Germany, who beat England on penalties in the semi-final, easily withstood late Spanish pressure.

Germany's 2009 winning side, who beat England in that final, included current senior regulars Manuel Neuer, Mesut Ozil, Jerome Boateng, Sami Khedira and Mats Hummels, and there will certainly be future stars from this crop of youngsters.

Former Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry, who has moved from Werder Bremen to Bayern Munich this summer, already has two senior caps and he put in a standout performance characterised by pace and creativity.

And the match-winning header from Hertha Berlin wideman Weiser was of international quality, as he met Jeremy Toljan's cross to flick the ball into the far corner of the net from a tight angle.

Spain, captained by Barcelona-bound Gerard Deulofeu, came into the final as strong favourites and had momentum, having beaten Italy 3-1 in the semi-finals.

But their hat-trick hero from that game - Saul - was presented with few chances as Germany, managed by former international Stefan Kuntz, were able to make the Spaniards' superior possession count for little.

Several of Germany's usual under-21 internationals are in Russia for the Confederations Cup after Joachim Low named a youthful squad for the tournament. They face Chile in Sunday's final.

Line-ups

Germany U21

Formation 4-1-4-1

  • 12Pollersbeck
  • 2Toljan
  • 5StarkBooked at 52mins
  • 15Kempf
  • 3Gerhardt
  • 19HabererBooked at 50minsSubstituted forKohrat 83'minutes
  • 17Weiser
  • 7MeyerBooked at 78mins
  • 10ArnoldBooked at 47mins
  • 11GnabrySubstituted forAmiriat 81'minutes
  • 22PhilippSubstituted forÖztunaliat 87'minutes

Substitutes

  • 1Schwäbe
  • 4Anton
  • 6Jung
  • 8Dahoud
  • 9Selke
  • 13Platte
  • 14Klünter
  • 16Kehrer
  • 18Amiri
  • 20Öztunali
  • 21Kohr
  • 23Vlachodimos

Spain U21

Formation 4-3-3

  • 1Arrizabalaga Revuelta
  • 2Bellerín
  • 4Meré
  • 5VallejoBooked at 89mins
  • 19Castro OttoSubstituted forGayáat 51'minutes
  • 8SaúlBooked at 43mins
  • 22LlorenteBooked at 54minsSubstituted forMayoral Moyaat 83'minutes
  • 6Ceballos
  • 7Deulofeu
  • 12RamírezSubstituted forWilliamsat 71'minutes
  • 11Asensio

Substitutes

  • 3Gayá
  • 9Mayoral Moya
  • 10D Suárez
  • 13Blanco
  • 14Merino
  • 15Williams
  • 16López
  • 17Odriozola Arzallus
  • 18Oyarzabal
  • 20Soler
  • 21Rodri
  • 23González Polanco
Referee:
Benoit Bastien
Attendance:
14,059

Match Stats

Home TeamGermany U21Away TeamSpain U21
Possession
Home40%
Away60%
Shots
Home17
Away12
Shots on Target
Home3
Away1
Corners
Home4
Away12
Fouls
Home16
Away12

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Germany U21 1, Spain U21 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Germany U21 1, Spain U21 0.

  3. Post update

    Attempt missed. Maximilian Arnold (Germany U21) left footed shot from more than 35 yards misses to the left.

  4. Post update

    Dani Ceballos (Spain U21) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  5. Post update

    Foul by Levin Öztunali (Germany U21).

  6. Post update

    Foul by Iñaki Williams (Spain U21).

  7. Post update

    Maximilian Arnold (Germany U21) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  8. Post update

    José Gayá (Spain U21) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  9. Post update

    Foul by Levin Öztunali (Germany U21).

  10. Booking

    Jesús Vallejo (Spain U21) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  11. Post update

    Foul by Jesús Vallejo (Spain U21).

  12. Post update

    Mitchell Weiser (Germany U21) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  13. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Saúl Ñíguez (Spain U21) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by José Gayá.

  14. Post update

    Foul by Jesús Vallejo (Spain U21).

  15. Post update

    Levin Öztunali (Germany U21) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  16. Substitution

    Substitution, Germany U21. Levin Öztunali replaces Maximilian Philipp.

  17. Post update

    Corner, Germany U21. Conceded by Saúl Ñíguez.

  18. Post update

    Borja Mayoral (Spain U21) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  19. Post update

    Foul by Dominik Kohr (Germany U21).

  20. Substitution

    Substitution, Spain U21. Borja Mayoral replaces Marcos Llorente.

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1England U2132105147
2Slovakia U2132016336
3Sweden U21302125-32
4Poland U21301237-41

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Spain U2133009189
2Portugal U2132017526
3Serbia U21301225-31
4Macedonia U213012411-71

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Italy U2132014316
2Germany U2132015146
3Denmark U21310247-33
4Czech Rep U21310257-23
View full Euro Under-21 Championship tables