Harvey Elliott spectacularly fired England Under-21s to the European Championship final as they moved one win away from becoming back-to-back champions.
One year on from the men's senior team beating the Netherlands in the Euros semi-final, the Young Lions followed suit, with Elliott's second-half double earning a 2-1 win in Bratislava.
The 22-year-old, a Premier League champion with Liverpool, scored both goals, first putting his side ahead just after the hour and then firing a superb 86th-minute winner after Noah Ohio had levelled for the Dutch with his first touch.
Lee Carsley's side will meet Germany or France in Saturday's final when they will hope to retain the crown they won two years ago.
Follow all of the latest from the semi-final with our live blog below. Watch every Fifa Club World Cup game free on DAZN. Sign up here now.
England vs Netherlands live
- England dramatically beat the Netherlands 2-1 to seal place in the U21 Euros final
- Liverpool star Harvey Elliott scores twice to send Young Lions through as they try to defend their title
- They will face Germany or Italy in Saturday evening's final
- 85' - GOAL! Elliott drives forward and rifles home his second goal of the day (ENG 2-1 NED)
- 72' - GOAL! Ohio's long-range strike after Cresswell's mistake catches England out (ENG 1-1 NED)
- 62' - GOAL! Elliott lashes home the first goal from Anderson's pass (ENG 1-0 NED)
Harvey Elliott sends England into the final
19:21 , Luke BakerThe second goal in particular was sublime by Harvey Elliott and England will now look to take the final step on Saturday evening
England reach U21 Euros final
19:09 , Luke BakerA second final in a row for England’s U21s
#U21EURO finalists 🏴❤️ pic.twitter.com/N4ZgCfaYh1
— England (@England) June 25, 2025
England 2-1 Netherlands
19:01 , Luke BakerWow, what a performance by the Young Lions to fight their way through. Superb stuff.
They’ll now play either Germany or Italy in Saturday evening’s final with a second straight title on the line.
FULL-TIME! England 2-1 Netherlands
18:56 , Luke BakerThat’s it! All over and England make back-to-back U21s Euros finals.
THey’re one win away from retaining their title. Harvey Elliott’s two goals have made the difference here. Take a bow son!
England 2-1 Netherlands, 90+5 mins
18:54 , Luke BakerGoalkeeper Roefs up from the back. Beadle brilliantly comes and gathers the corner. Superb superb goalkeeping.
That should be it
England 2-1 Netherlands, 90+5 mins
18:54 , Luke BakerLast-ditch corner for the Netherlands, won by Poku. Real last-chance saloon stuff...
England 2-1 Netherlands, 90+5 mins
18:54 , Luke BakerLast-ditch corner for the Netherlands, won by Poku. Real last-chance saloon stuff...
England 2-1 Netherlands, 90+4 mins
18:53 , Luke BakerBeadle gratefully falls on a hopeful ball into the box. That’s a few more seconds whittled away
CLOSE! England 2-1 Netherlands, 90+3 mins
18:52 , Luke BakerGreat tackle by Cresswell to launch an attack, Anderson drives and tries to curl one into the top corner. Millimetres over the top and Roefs was unmoved!
Two minutes left...
England 2-1 Netherlands, 90 mins
18:50 , Luke BakerEngland desperately trying to run the clock down now and see this out.
A key moment as they learn how much added time there will be. Five minutes of injury time! Can they hold on?
Archie Gray comes on as a late sub for double goalscorer Elliott
England 2-1 Netherlands, 87 mins
18:47 , Luke BakerNo time for the Netherlands to hang about now. Straight back on the attack and Beadle stays strong to repel an effort that is straight at him.
GOAL! England 2-1 Netherlands (Harvey Elliott, 85 mins)
18:46 , Luke BakerOH MY WORD! THAT IS HUGE! Harvey Elliott may have just sent England into the final!
Picks the ball up, drives forward, cuts inside and it opens up in front of him. He strikes goalwards with his left foot and it rifles into the bottom right corner. Big players deliver in big moments.
A fourth goal of the tournament for Elliott.
England 1-1 Netherlands, 83 mins
18:43 , Luke BakerEngland counter at pace and switch the ball to the left. It looks like a good chance is created as the ball goes into the box and Elliott twists and turns but his shot is blocked.
Two more England changes. Arsenal star Ethan Nwaneri and Hayden Hackney on
England 1-1 Netherlands, 80 mins
18:41 , Luke BakerBjorn Meijer also on for the Netherlands in place of Valente. And then Goes is into the book for a foul.
Another Netherlands corner shortly follows but Cresswell powerfully heads away
England 1-1 Netherlands, 77 mins
18:38 , Luke BakerWill England be able to respond to the inevitable shell-shock accompanying that goal.
Lee Carsley opts for a double change as McAtee and Hutchinson head off, with Jonathan Rowe and Brooke Norton-Cuffy coming on.
GOAL! England 1-1 Netherlands (Noah Ohio, 72 mins)
18:34 , Luke BakerUtrecht forward Noah Ohio comes on for midfielder Milambo - an attacking change for the Dutch.
OH MY WORD! HE’S SCORED WITH HIS FIRST TOUCH.
Cresswell loses the ball in defence for England, it’s fed to Ohio and he spots Beadle scrambling back to his goal having been sweeper keeping. He strikes it first time from 35 yards and it curls just inside the near post beyond the diving Beadle. A superb hit!
That’s his ninth goal for Netherlands U21 this year. Not Beadle’s faul that, it was Cresswell’s mistake that was punished and the England goalkeeper nearly made the scrambling save.
England 1-0 Netherlands, 68 mins
18:30 , Luke BakerAnother Dutch corner but Quansah heads it away. England’s defence have dealt well with set-pieces today.
England 1-0 Netherlands, 64 mins
18:24 , Luke BakerA huge goal for England that will force the Dutch to come forward. One foot in the final now.
The Young Lions straight back on the attack as Hutchinson chops back from the byline, inside his man and shoots at the near post but it’s just into the side netting.
GOAL! England 1-0 Netherlands (Harvey Elliott, 62 mins)
18:23 , Luke BakerAnd there’s the breakthrough for England! They’ve been second best in this second half but it doesn’t matter.
Hutchinson lets the ball roll to Anderson who slips a pass through to Harvey Elliott with the outside of his foot. Elliott bursts into the box on the right and lashes a shot at goal that has too much power for Roefs.
A third goal of the tournament for Elliott and England lead in this semi-final!
SAVE! England 0-0 Netherlands, 59 mins
18:19 , Luke BakerRoefs was the busier goalkeeper in the first half but his side have looked better early int he second period.
Cresswell concedes another Netherlands corner, they go short and Beadle then punches the eventual cross clear.
It comes back, Maatsen sends a swerving effort goalwards from long range and Beadle plunges to his left to tip the ball wide. England defend the corner well.
SAVE! England 0-0 Netherlands, 56 mins
18:16 , Luke BakerValente gets into a good position on the left of the box and fizzes a ball across goal that Beadle dives and gets a hand to, forcing it behind for a corner. More good play by the Dutch.
They waste the corner though and England breathe a sigh of relief.
England 0-0 Netherlands, 53 mins
18:13 , Luke BakerThe Netherlands have looked livelier at the start of this second period. Neat interplay around the edge of the box and only a superb intervention from Hinshelwood to intercept a reverse pass through prevents a potentially golden chance.
England 0-0 Netherlands, 50 mins
18:10 , Luke BakerStansfield presses Dutch goalkeeper Roefs and although he clears the ball just in time, he catches the England striker with his follow through. A painful one for the Birmingham man but an effective press.
England 0-0 Netherlands, 47 mins
18:06 , Luke BakerThe Dutch win an early free-kick out wide but the whipped ball in is dealt with.
At the other end, Elliott puts a ball into the box himself but it’s cleared easily enough
KICK-OFF! England 0-0 Netherlands
18:05 , Luke BakerBack underway in Bratislava. 45 minutes for either side to find a goal that could be decisive in this semi-final
Half-time sub for the Netherlands with Wouter Goes coming on in defence for Kasanwirjo.
HALF-TIME! England 0-0 Netherlands
17:51 , Luke BakerAnd that’s the half-time whistle. England have been on top in Bratislava but genuine chances are few and far between. Omari Hutchinson has been the brightest spark for the Young Lions
All to play for after the break.
England 0-0 Netherlands, 45+1 mins
17:49 , Luke BakerInto three minutes of added time and a first booking of the game as Anderson is yellow carded for flailing an arm at Milambo. That’s harsh, to be honest.
But the free-kick is poor from the Dutch and England counter at speed. Hutchinson helps it on to Scott who laces a shot that is blocked wide by a sliding defender. That was definitely goalbound.
Scott’s corner isn’t great though and Netherlands clear
England 0-0 Netherlands, 44 mins
17:44 , Luke BakerStunning first touch from Scott to bring the ball out of the sky and Livramento is on the overlap. Yet another England corner is the results.
McAtee’s ball into the danger area is whipped but Van Bergen attacks it well to head clear just as he’s being clattered by Cresswell. I think that’s what they call brave defending
England 0-0 Netherlands, 40 mins
17:40 , Luke BakerWhile England have been largely dominant here, they haven’t created anything concrete since the 12th minute or so. And the Netherlands have definitely grown into the game.
It really does feel that one goal may decide this semi-final ultimately.
England 0-0 Netherlands, 36 mins
17:37 , Luke BakerBetter from the Netherlands as Kasanwirjo gets to the byline and puts the ball back in the box. It falls to Milambo who thunders a shot from the edge of the box but it’s brilliantly blocked by Scott. Body on the line from the Bournemouth man.
Poku then runs at Livramento and wins a Netherlands corner... They go short but it comes to nothing
England 0-0 Netherlands, 32 mins
17:32 , Luke BakerI wasn’t even born when Beadle’s About was on TV so there’s really no need for me to be making weak Beadle puns but there we are...
England back in the ascendancy now as Hinshelwood’s ball in cannons about a bit before the Dutch defence hack clear.
England 0-0 Netherlands, 29 mins
17:29 , Luke BakerLivramento concedes a first corner of the game against England after a nice touch by Poku to pluck the ball out of the sky.
But Beadle’s about (sorry!) for England! The keeper off his line to dominate his penalty area and claim the cross. Safe hands.
England 0-0 Netherlands, 25 mins
17:27 , Luke BakerIt’s 33 degrees in Bratislava so we’ve got a Uefa-mandated drinks break midway through this first half. Well-earned.
England have been really good so far, dominating possession and looking dangerous in attack. The Dutch are happy to sit back, soak up pressure and try to counter. Both teams will be happy with their gameplan so far.
England 0-0 Netherlands, 22 mins
17:22 , Luke BakerHutchinson looking so sharp here. The Ipswich man is a threat every time he picks up the ball, weaving between men, picking out the right pass.
But England’s next attack comes down the right, started by McAtee’s quick feet, finding Livramento on the overlap and the Man City man then bursts into the box where all he can do is backheel a ball slipped through to him to the right of the goal but Roefs makes himself big, comes sliding out and blocks it well.
England 0-0 Netherlands, 20 mins
17:20 , Luke BakerGood work by McAtee, finds Hinshelwood and he pokes a pass to Stansfield who wins the corner. England’s fourth of the game.
But again, too close to the keeper from Scott and easily claimed
England 0-0 Netherlands, 17 mins
17:16 , Luke BakerAnderson crunches Valente down in the right corner amd gives away a free-kick. Decent crossing position...
But Maatsen’s lofted ball in is too deep and drifts out harmlessly for a goal-kick
England 0-0 Netherlands, 15 mins
17:14 , Luke BakerScott takes the latest England corner, with the big byos up from the back, but it’s too close to Roefs who claims well under pressure from Creesswell. The Dutch goalkeeper has been the busiest man on the pitch in the early going.
SAVE! England 0-0 Netherlands, 13 mins
17:13 , Luke BakerAnother stop by Roefs as he stays big and repels Stansfield’s effort. Behind for another corner.
Roefs flaps at a deep cross, it’s over his head but his defenders block an attempted shot and scramble away.
England in complete control at the moment
England 0-0 Netherlands, 11 mins
17:11 , Luke BakerHutchinson really has been the brightest England spark so far. He carries form deep again, switches the play and Livramento’s cross is blocked behind for a corner by Hato.
Inviting delivery but it’s headed out to Elliott who fires a shot in that is well-blocked
England 0-0 Netherlands, 8 mins
17:08 , Luke BakerHutchinson looking dangerous down the left, another jinking run and dinks the ball to Hinshelwood, it comes to Elliott but his shot is blocked.
The Netherlands counter well, Poku to the byline but his pull-back is behind Manhoef. First decent moment from the men in orange.
England 0-0 Netherlands, 7 mins
17:06 , Luke BakerStansfield leading the press for England - the Birmingham striker full of running in the early going and it’s forcing mistakes from the Netherlands defence.
Anderson picks up the ball and drives into the box but he goes down as it’s flicked away from him. Good tackle.
SAVE! England 0-0 Netherlands, 4 mins
17:05 , Luke BakerThat’s good from England. Hutchinson bursts down the left, runs at his man, into the area with a stepover and squares the ball across the box.
Elliott arriving late at the back post, strikes it first time with his left foot and Dutch keeper Roefs stretches with his foot to save well at the near post. A bit unconventional but he kept it out - a decent stop in the end.
England 0-0 Netherlands, 3 mins
17:03 , Luke BakerIt is hot in Slovakia, with the temperature above 30 degrees C. Lee Carsley says England are ready to deal with that but it could well affect the tempo and how intense the press can be.
As expected, England dominating possession in the early going. Dutch captain Hato brings down Stansfield in midfield
KICK-OFF! England v Netherlands
17:00 , Luke BakerUnderway in Bratislava. Can England reach the final once again?
England v Netherlands
16:56 , Luke BakerThe teams are out on the pitch in Bratislava - a decent crowd in actually. Anthems just being completed now and then it’s kick-off
England v Netherlands team news
16:50 , Luke BakerWe’re about 10 minutes away from kick-off in Slovakia. Here’s a reminder of how the teams line up.
England XI: Beadle; Hinshelwood, Quansah, Cresswell, Livramento; Scott, Anderson; Elliott, McAtee, Hutchinson; Stansfield
Netherlands XI: Roefs; Kasanwirjo, Van den Berg, Hato, Maatsen; Flamingo, Valente, Milambo; Manhoef, Van Bergen, Poku
England v Netherlands
16:37 , Luke BakerBratislava looks ready for what should be a fascinating semi-final this evening.
Can the Young Lions move one step closer to another U21 Euros title?
National Football Stadium, Bratislava 🏟️
— England (@England) June 25, 2025
The scene for our #YoungLions' semi-final this evening. pic.twitter.com/lPfCNb0vJk
England beat Spain to reach last four
16:24 , Luke BakerThere were wild celebrations as England impressively beat Spain in the quarter-finals
Lee Carsley says England ready to deal with heat
16:08 , Luke BakerLee Carsley will not allow the heat to be an excuse as England in Bratislava today.
Temperatures are set to exceed 30 degrees celsius in Slovakia but boss Carsley insists his players are ready to take that challenge on
"We've not shied away from the heat," Carsley said. "We've exposed the players to it fully. We're ready for it. We're fully prepared now.
"We've trained at some of the hottest periods of the day, not on purpose but just the way that it's worked out with our training time.
"We've been here long enough now to acclimatise to the heat. We've definitely got hydration strategies in place in terms of what the players need to cool down quickly and hydrate quickly.
"I think our use of the substitutions has been effective in terms of our timings. We've probably gone a little bit earlier than you would in normal circumstances, based on how hot it's been."
Netherlands team news
15:50 , Luke BakerAnd here’s the Netherlands side. Quarter-final match-winner Ernest Poku is given the start after emerging from the bench to score the decisive goal against Portugal.
𝑺𝑬𝑴𝑰-𝑭𝑰𝑵𝑨𝑳 𝑿𝑰! 🏴🇳🇱#TheNextUp #U21EURO pic.twitter.com/dit4U0B4vA
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) June 25, 2025
England team news
15:47 , Luke BakerThe England team is in. Elliot Anderson, who looked notably frustrated at being demoted to the bench last time out, is back in the starting XI.
📋 Tonight's #U21EURO semi-final team news... pic.twitter.com/i76OxuDHgP
— England (@England) June 25, 2025
England ready for semi-final
15:43 , Luke BakerEngland were working hard in training yesterday in preparation for this semi-final
Building towards the #U21EURO semi-final!👊📈 pic.twitter.com/bMGyyyjwIa
— England (@England) June 24, 2025
England U21 vs Netherlands U21 prediction
15:27 , Luke BakerFew expected England to beat Spain in the quarter-finals (despite the obvious talent available to Lee Carsley), but things seemed to click in Trnava and England are now just a game away from consecutive European Championship finals.
The Young Lions are as short as 23/20 to win the tie in normal time, with bookies clearly rating a squad that includes James McAtee, Tino Livramento, Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah.
But England will be wary that many thought the same about Spain ahead of their match, and talent certainly does not guarantee success at this level.
England U21 vs Netherlands U21 prediction: Young Lions heading back to final
Jarell Quansah nears move to Bayer Leverkusen as Liverpool agree fee
15:14 , Luke BakerTransfer news surrounding one of England’s squad this evening.
Liverpool have agreed to sell Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen for a fee rising to €41m (£35m).
The defender is expected to join the 2024 Bundesliga champions as the summer trading between the two clubs continues.
Liverpool could have a buy-back clause in the deal, which is likely to go through after the end of the Euros, where Quansah has been a key cog for Carsley’s Young Lions.
How Netherlands reached the last four
15:00 , Luke BakerMeanwhile, substitute Ernest Poku scored a dramatic late winner as 10-man Netherlands edged past Portugal to progress to the semi-finals.
The Dutch were on the backfoot when Ruben van Bommel, son of former Netherlands midfielder Mark, was sent off early in the first half but were given a lifeline when Portugal winger Geovany Quenda, who will join Chelsea next year, missed a penalty.
Portugal continued to dominate in the second half but Michael Reiziger's side dealt the decisive blow when Aston Villa's Ian Maatsen lifted a pass over the defence for Poku to round goalkeeper Samuel Soares and score with six minutes to go.
We're in the SEMI-FINALS!!! ❤️🔥🇳🇱#TheNextUp #U21EURO pic.twitter.com/XVjEOba0Ad
— OnsOranje (@OnsOranje) June 21, 2025
England U21s break Spain hearts once again
14:47 , Luke BakerEngland booked their place in the European U21 Championship semi-finals with a 3-1 victory over Spain.
The Young Lions benefitted from an early let-off after a VAR check resulted in an overturned penalty. Captain James McAtee then opened the scoring in the 10th minute and Harvey Elliott netted his second goal of the tournament five minutes later.
Javi Guerra clawed a goal back for Spain with a 39th-minute penalty, but substitute Elliot Anderson's own spot-kick in second-half stoppage time assured Lee Carsley's men of their spot in the final four.
Here’s how England made it through to the semi-finals:
England U21s break Spain hearts once again to book place in Euros last four
Early Netherlands team news
14:37 , Luke BakerFor the Dutch, they will be without Ruben van Bommel – son of legendary midfielder Mark – after his sending off against Portugal.
Devyne Rensch and Kenneth Taylor are also suspended after they picked up their second yellow cards of the tournament on Saturday.
Goalscorer Ernest Poku, who came off the bench against Portugal, could be rewarded with a start.
Predicted Netherlands XI: Roefs; Kasanwirjo, Van den Berg, Hato, Maatsen; Flamingo, Valente, Meijer; Manhoef, Van Bergen, Poku
Early England team news
14:34 , Luke BakerEngland will be without Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton, who picked up a second yellow card of the tournament against Spain and will therefore be suspended for the semi-final.
Elliot Anderson could be a notable returnee to the side in midfield, after looking clearly frustrated by his demotion to the bench last time out.
Predicted England XI: Beadle; Hinshelwood, Quansah, Cresswell, Livramento; Scott, Anderson; Elliott, McAtee, Hutchinson; Stansfield
How to watch England v Netherlands
14:32 , Luke BakerThe match will kick off at 5pm BST on Wednesday, 25 June in Bratislava, Slovakia.
It will take place at the at the Tehelne Pole stadium, which is home to local side SK Slovan Bratislava and has a capacity of around 22,500.
Viewers in the UK can watch the match for free on Channel 4, with coverage starting at 4:40pm. Subscribers can also stream the action online via Channel 4 On Demand.
Everything you need to know about England U21s v Netherlands U21s
14:30 , Luke BakerIt’s full steam ahead for the England U21s in their European Championship title defence as they face the Netherlands in a massive semi-final clash.
After an underwhelming group stage, Lee Carsley’s side turned things up a gear to overcome Spain in a repeat of their 2023 final triumph, with goals from James McAtee, Harvey Elliott and Elliot Anderson guiding the Young Lions to a 3-1 win in the last eight.
They now face a Netherlands side on a high after shocking Portugal in the quarter-finals, with the Dutch edging a late 1-0 win thanks to an Ernest Poku strike, despite going a man down in the first half.
Here’s everything you need to know about the match:
Is England U21s vs Netherlands U21s on TV? How to watch Euros semi-final for free
England U21s bid for Euros final
09:56 , Harry Latham-CoyleA very good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the first U21 European Championship semi-final. After sweeping aside Spain impressively, Lee Carsley’s England are two games away from defending their continental crown - though Netherlands will provide a tricky test in the last four.
Kick off is at 5pm BST.
