Germans inflict shoot-out misery on England – again

England U21 2 Germany U21 2 [Germany win 4-3 on penalties]

Another semi-final with Germany and another penalty shoot-out nightmare. England U21 followed in the inaccurate footsteps of their elders but not necessarily betters as they crashed out of the European Under-21 Championship to Germany in a dramatic encounter in Tychy, Poland.

"We gave our all, we did whatever we could," said coach Aidy Boothroyd, reports City AM. "There were times in the game where, even though I felt they went ahead against the run of play, they came back into it and gave us a lot of problems. We had our backs against the wall at times but we showed real character and determination and we then went ahead and we showed what we are all about."

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That character was first put to the test on 35 minutes when Davie Selke put Germany one up when he converted Jeremy Toljan's cross. Their lead didn't last long, just six minutes, before Leicester’s Demarai Gray exploited hesitant German defending at James Ward-Prowse's corner to volley home. Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham then gave the Young Lions the lead five minutes into the second half but this time it was Germany who showed their mettle in fighting back, Felix Platte heading a bullet of an equaliser on 70 minutes.

That took the tie into extra-time and when there was still stalemate at the end of the 30 minutes penalties beckoned. Twice before in the semi-finals of international tournaments the Three Lions have lost shoot-outs to the Germans – in the 1990 World Cup and at Euro 96 – and Boothroyd’s youngsters made it a hat-trick of failures in a tense series of penalties.

England keeper Jordan Pickford had given his side the edge by saving well from Yannick Gerhardt but Germany's Julian Pollersbeck cancelled out the advantage straight away by denying Abraham. And the German keeper then parried Nathan Redmond's effort to send his side through to Friday's final against Spain, who beat Italy 3-1 in the other semi.

"That's football," said Boothroyd, whose side were restricted to just 30 per cent of possession over the 120 minutes. "I want us to take that next step and we were so close, so close. Tonight, it just wasn't to be. We are all deeply disappointed to take it as far as we did [but] we can be proud and disappointed."