Time to sign off, but I’ll leave you with Ed Aarons’ pitchside report – and we’ll have more live coverage of England’s adventures in Slovakia coming up soon.
Tino Livramento is player of the match, awarded by the Uefa panel for a “high-energy and extremely positive performance,” where he “made a huge contribution to England’s attacking play.” Hard to argue with that – Alex Scott and Omari Hutchinson were my other standouts.
Two years ago, England started off by beating the Czech Republic by a two-goal margin, and ended up winning the tournament. It’s far too early to make such a bold claim this time, but Carsley’s side will definitely have an eye on the latter stages.
Full time: Czech Republic 1-3 England
Job very much done for Lee Carsley’s side – it wasn’t perfect but they came through periods of pressure, and earned a hard-fought victory with goals from Harvey Elliott, Jonathan Rowe and Charlie Cresswell.
94 mins: Karabec tries a trick that doesn’t come off, the ball looping out of play, and that’s probably that.
93 mins: Harvey Elliott, now captain after McAtee was substituted, has a word with his teammates after a sloppy spell of possession.
92 mins: We’ve played two of the five added minutes. Elsewhere, it’s finished Germany 3-0 Slovenia.
90 mins: Karabec has looked frustrated for most of his time on the field, but he’s able to pick out Vecheta in the area, whose shot on the turn is well held by Beadle.
88 mins: It’s all been pretty neat and tidy from England after conceding, though, and Cresswell’s header has eased the pressure. Beadle is put under a bit of heat by a back pass, but hammers the ball fully over the stand and towards Bratislava.
86 mins: Another Czech change, with Josef Kozeluh replacing Hadas. Make that two – Ondrej Kricfalusi is on for Vydra. I’ll be honest, all these substitutions are sapping the momentum somewhat.
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84 mins: It’s the influential Alex Scott going off along with Anderson – they’re replaced by Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney and Liverpool’s Tyler Morton.
83 mins: Karabec wins a free kick and swings a cross towards the far post, but it’s overhit and goes behind. England are preparing two more changes …
82 mins: Anderson, who has played all but 16 seconds of this game on a yellow card, makes a firm but fair challenge to stop Czechia breaking away. He’s still the only player to be booked.
81 mins: Two Czech changes: Filip Vecheta and Alex Sojka are on, replacing Stransky and Danek.
Germany now lead Slovenia 3-0, Woltemade completing his hat-trick from the penalty spot. It’s looking like England v Germany could settle top spot in the group.
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78 mins: James Beadle gets down to claim Karabec’s underhit shot from the edge of the area. Can England maintain their two-goal buffer this time?
77 mins: Hutchinson’s night is over, replaced by Samuel Iling-Junior. He’s on Aston Villa’s books but spent this season on loan at Middlesbrough and Bologna.
It’s a perfect delivery from Alex Scott and Cresswell stands his ground, close to the penalty spot, before heading into the far corner. There’s a VAR check for a foul, but no dice.
GOAL! Czech Republic 1-3 England (Cresswell 75')
From the corner, England restore their two-goal lead as Charlie Cresswell heads home!
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74 mins: The corner is cleared but England come forward again, and Hutchinson’s shot is deflected behind after nice buildup play from Harvey Elliott.
73 mins: This is what we all wanted to see from Nwaneri, taking on his man and racing into the area with intent. He cuts back on to his left foot, and sees his shot deflected behind for a corner.
72 mins: The last time England’s U21s let a two-goal lead slip, it was Giorgio Chiellini who scored the equaliser for Italy. So, a while ago.
71 mins: Germany lead Slovenia 2-0, Nick Woltemade getting both goals in the first half. England face Slovenia next in this group on Sunday, then Germany in their final game on Wednesday.
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69 mins: Nwaneri slots in on the right of the new front three, with Birmingham’s Stansfield in the middle and Hutchinson on the left.
67 mins: Two changes for England, with Ethan Nwaneri and Jay Stansfield replacing Rowe and McAtee. There’s a slight delay as Ashley Cole has to remind the confused fourth official which players are coming off.
65 mins: England still controlling possession, but their opponents are happy to sit and wait behind the ball for now. Rowe almost latches on to Scott’s through ball but is held up, and McAtee can’t make use of the second ball.
63 mins: A change for Czechia as goalscorer Fila is replaced by Adam Karabec, one of their better-known young talents. We included him in our 2020 Next Gen list:
62 mins: Suchomel wins a corner as Gray blocks his cross, and asks for the fans massed behind the goal to make some noise. The corner is met by Filip Prebsl, but the defender can’t get any power behind his header.
60 mins: McAtee finds a pocket of space, weighs up his options, doesn’t find many and lifts a tame shot into Hornicek’s arms.
59 mins: More patient build-up play from England before McAtee sets up Hutchinson, whose shot is blocked. Moments later, Suchomel denies McAtee down the right flank.
57 mins: Czech ultras update – they’ve now assembled a giant Czech flag out of long balloons that someone snuck in to the ground.
56 mins: England’s defenders take a moment on the ball as the attackers in front reshuffle. “This may look tedious at home, but it’s important,” says Joe Hart. Is he available to cover the senior team?
55 mins: Lee Carsley is on his feet, trying to gee up his players – and reminding them that they need to play, and not try to sit on this lead.
54 mins: Another Czech break is snuffed out by Archie Gray, who carries the ball upfield and finds Hutchinson, whose ambitious shot from distance is blocked.
52 mins: So, England fail to make the most of that early gift, with the gap back down to a single goal. Sejk, operating further out to the left in this half, gets on the ball again but is closed down by Gray and Cresswell.
GOAL! Czech Republic 1-2 England (Fila 51')
Game back on as Sejk cuts inside away from Cresswell and floats a cross towards Daniel Fila, who gets in front of Livramento and heads emphatically into the net!
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Hutchinson combines with Livramento down the left, and the full-back gets beyond his man and fires in a low cross, which Jonathan Rowe gets a touch on. It’s enough to wrong-foot Hornicek at the near post, the ball spinning off his knee and into the net. Joe Hart is trying his best to defend the young stopper, but he had to do better.
GOAL! Czech Republic 0-2 England (Rowe 48')
A very welcome two-goal cushion for England, courtesy of an unfortunate error from Czech keeper Lukas Hornicek.
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46 mins: And finally, we’re under way. Cresswell’s loose pass gives Sejk a chance to shoot, but Beadle is right behind his effort from the edge of the area.
I tell a lie, we actually haven’t restarted yet – some tech issue between the referees and VAR, I believe.
Second half
We’re back under way – no changes from either side.
Half time: Czech Republic 0-1 England
It’s been an even first half with chances for both sides, but England lead through Harvey Elliott’s opportunistic finish. How does he not have a senior cap yet?! Your thoughts welcome.
45 mins: Two added minutes. The corner flies across the goalmouth but the referee whistles for a free kick to Czechia.
44 mins: The Czech fans are back in full voice after being momentarily deflated by Elliott’s goal. McAtee does well down the right and crosses for Anderson, who wins a corner.
42 mins: McAtee exchanges passes with Scott and has a shot that’s comfortable enough for Hornicek. There is a VAR check for handball against Quansah, but after a brief pause, the referee waves play on.
41 mins: Czechia almost equalise immediately, a flick-on from a corner causing a goalmouth scramble – but Beadle keeps the ball out after it deflects off Quansah.
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After some nice trickery from Hutchinson, Livramento’s deflected cross almost loops in – but McAtee is alert to pick up the ball and cut back to Elliott, whose shot pings through the keeper’s legs! And is greeted by almost total silence!
GOAL! Czech Republic 0-1 England (Elliott 39')
England have the breakthrough, Harvey Elliott drilling home at the near post!
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37 mins: Scott scraps hard to win the ball back in the Czech area and finds Rowe, whose cross towards McAtee is claimed by the keeper. England maybe lacking a focal point, but that’s what happens when your first-choice No 9 gets bought by Chelsea and packed off to the Club World Cup instead.
36 mins: Livramento finds space down the left again but after the ball is worked across the pitch, Elliot’s attempted slip pass to Gray is underhit, and the ball is cleared away.
35 mins: In the other Group B game currently going on, Nick Woltemade has put Germany 1-0 up against Slovenia.
32 mins: The opposition’s high press is causing England more issues as the game goes on. When they do get beyond it here, Hutchinson looks for a pass but has no real options in the middle.
29 mins: Replays suggest that the ball actually hit Scott on the chest and then his left arm, which was by his side but stopped the ball from going in. There is VAR here, but no further action is called for.
28 mins: Another Czech corner – they’ve had the better of the last 10 minutes – and a snap-shot from Vydra is blocked by Alex Scott’s chest! It could have deflected anywhere, but England are able to clear.
25 mins: Czechia win a free kick out wide and the captain, Stepan Chaloupek, is unmarked eight yards out! He heads at goal, but Beadle is alert to turn it over the bar. That was a big chance.
23 mins: After a muddled spell of midfield play, England get a 3-on-3 break, with McAtee’s pass to Elliott getting a deflection that takes the Liverpool man out wide. He crosses low towards McAtee, but the keeper is out to smother it efficiently.
22 mins: Some more interesting insight from Hart on “the pathway”, and how much performing well for the U21s helps players break into the senior squad. “You get the chance to train with the first team, and everyone in the England setup is watching the games,” he adds.
21 mins: Anderson looks for Tino Livramento with a nice ball over the top, but the full-back can’t quite bring it under control.
20 mins: A potential England counter grinds to a halt as Czechia get men behind the ball.
18 mins: Something of a lull in proceedings after an end-to-end start. Which gives us time to let you know that Thomas Frank has officially been appointed as the new Tottenham manager!
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16 mins: Quansah, pushing up to join a counter, is penalised for a foul. The crowd is 90% Czech (at least) and are bellowing out a series of chants behind Hornicek’s goal.
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14 mins: Stransky goes down under a challenge from Livramento, but is penalised for handling the ball as he went to ground.
13 mins: Charlie Cresswell clears away Fila’s cross. The centre-back is one of two Ligue 1 players in England’s line-up, having moved to Toulouse at the start of the season. The other is Jonathan Rowe, who’s been on loan at Marseille from Norwich.
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11 mins: Czechia’s best opening so far, wing-back Suchomel sliding in a cross for Vaclav Sejk, who is a few inches away from connecting with an outstretched boot.
10 mins: Fila fouls Livramento, presenting England with a decent free kick opportunity, but the ball escapes McAtee and trickles away for a goal kick.
8 mins: England’s front three look very fluid, with Hutchinson now popping up on the left, cutting inside and stinging Hornicek’s palms with a decent effort from 12 yards out.
7 mins: Suchomel, one of a core of Sparta and Slavia Prague prospects in this Czech team, has an effort from 25 yards that’s dragged wide of the near post.
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6 mins: And another half-chance as Omari Hutchinson cuts back for McAtee, whose shot is a touch rushed, and scuffed wide of the post.
5 mins: Livramento moves down the left and his cross-shot forces the Czech keeper to palm the ball away. England starting strongly …
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4 mins: Joe Hart, who’s on Channel 4 co-comms, says former Birmingham teammate Lee Carsley is a “fascinating person” and “top, top player” in his pomp. “I’d love to have been coached by him.”
3 mins: England break through Harvey Elliott and James McAtee, whose cross forces Hadas to head behind. England corner … but Alex Scott’s delivery bends beyond everyone.
2 mins: The free kick curls beyond everyone and behind James Beadle’s goal.
1 min: Elliot Anderson is booked after 17 seconds after treading on Hadas’ toes. This referee clearly not giving anyone an early pass.
First half
Off we go, and there’s a very quick yellow card …
The teams are heading out on to the pitch in Dunajska Streda, a smallish town close to the Slovakian capital, Bratislava. Czech fans have travelled in big numbers to their neighbours, so this might feel like an away game for England.
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More from Nick Ames on the England Under-21 conundrum:
Team news
Czech Republic U21 (3-4-1-2): Hornicek; Spacil, Prebsl, Chaloupek; Hadas, Vydra, Stransky, Suchomel; Danek; Sejk, Fila.
Subs: Borek, Koutny, Kozeluh, Kricfalusi, Labik, Paluska, Halinsky, Karabec,
Visinsky, Sojka, Langhamer, Vecheta.
England U21 (4-3-3): Beadle; Livramento, Cresswell, Quansah, Gray; Anderson, Scott, Elliott; McAtee, Hutchinson, Rowe.
Subs: Sharman-Lowe, Simkin, Edwards, Egan-Riley, Norton-Cuffy, Hackney, Morton, Fellows, Hinshelwood, Nwaneri, Stansfield, Iling-Junior.
Preamble
Lee Carsley is back in the day job, aiming to defend the trophy his England side won in Georgia two summers ago. Stability is often in short supply for coaches at youth level, but even by those standards, a lot has changed since the 1-0 win over Spain in the 2023 final.
For one thing, Carsley had his shot at the big job – and while he insisted he was only keeping the seat warm, that may have changed if his interim stint had gone better. His last game in charge of England’s senior team was only seven months ago, even if it feels a lot longer.
During his brief tenure, Carsley promoted the likes of Curtis Jones and Morgan Gibbs-White, and while they would not be eligible for this tournament, seven members of Thomas Tuchel’s latest senior squad would have been – including Jude Bellingham, Levi Colwill and Cole Palmer. Instead, the coach is bringing in a new generation.
Speaking of Bellingham, his younger brother Jobe has dropped out in order to play for Dortmund at the Club World Cup, a decision also taken by new Chelsea recruit Liam Delap. It’s a very different landscape for Carsley this time around, although just as in 2023, they kick off their campaign against the Czech Republic.
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