England U21 3-1 Czechia U21 (12 Jun, 2025) Game Analysis

England got off to a perfect start in their opening match of the European Under-21 Championship with a 3-1 win over Czechia on Thursday.

Harvey Elliott and Jon Rowe staked the Young Lions to a 2-0 lead before Czechia’s Daniel Fila cut the lead in half shortly after the break in host nation Slovakia.

Toulouse centre-back Charlie Cresswell restored the two-goal advantage for England in the 76th minute to secure all three points in the Group B opener for Lee Carsley’s side.

Germany won their opener 3-0 against Slovenia on Thursday in Group A, leaving England in second in the group on goal difference.

England play Slovenia in their second match on Sunday and face Germany on Wednesday. The top two teams from each group qualify for the quarterfinal knockout round.