England’s U21 broke Spanish hearts in the Euros once again as they gritted out victory to progress to the last four, emulating their exploits of the 2023 final against La Roja.
Lee Carsley’s side looked in for a long night when they conceded a penalty inside two minutes, only for Charlie Cresswell's handball overturned by VAR.
The next 10 minutes then saw England flip the momentum and snatch two goals, with James McAtee and Harvey Elliott turning the Young Lions' nightmare start into one they'd dream of.
Spain rallied and halved England’s lead through Javi Guerra’s spot-kick prior to half-time. But Lee Carsley’s side held on for duration of the second half and sealed victory in stoppage time - substitute Elliot Anderson tucking home from the spot to a muted celebration from the Nottingham Forest midfielder.
Inflicting more Euros heartache onto the Spanish, England have set up a semi-final clash against the Netherlands in Bratislava.
Follow all the build-up, team news and action from England U21 vs Spain U21 below:
England U21 vs Spain U21 LIVE
- England U21s beat Spain U21s to book place in semi-finals of the European Championship
- The Netherlands await Lee Carsley's side in the last four
- 90+4' GOAL! Anderson seals it for England from the spot [ENG 3-1 SPA]
- 39' GOAL! Guerra converts from the spot to halve England's lead [ENG 2-1 SPA]
- 15' GOAL! Elliott pounces on spilled save after Quansah's shot [ENG 2-0 SPA]
- 10' GOAL! McAtee fires home to break deadlock for Young Lions [ENG 1-0 SPA]
- 5' NO PENALTY! Huge reprieve for England as early Spain penalty overturned [ENG 0-0 SPA]
Cruel deja vu for La Roja
22:56 , Will CastleNo wonder Spain lost their heads at full-time... must have touched a nerve.
England a completely different side compared to the group stage
22:40 , Will Castle“It wasn’t good enough [the group stages],” James McAtee said.
“We knew we had to step it up and from the start you saw that, we started on fire. The boys are delighted, over the moon with the win.
“You know what it is like now, it is all about stats, so I’m trying to add goals.”
Save the date
22:20 , Will Castle🇳🇱🆚🏴
— England (@England) June 21, 2025
Our #YoungLions will take on the Netherlands on Wednesday for a place in the #U21EURO final! pic.twitter.com/Oack8zV066
Spain player sent off after the final whistle
22:12 , Will CastleSpain's Rafa Marin was shown a red card after the final whistle as chaos broke out between the two sets of players.
England's James McAtee also picked up a booking.
England down Spain to keep Euros title defence alive
22:10 , Will Castle
FULL-TIME! England 3-1 Spain
21:57 , Will CastleENGLAND ARE INTO THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINALS!
Tempers run high at the full-time whistle as Spain try and incite fisticuffs - vital the players keep their cool and don’t do anything stupid to rule them out of the last four.
The Netherlands await in Bratislava. The Young Lions get one over on La Roja, once again!
GOAL! England 3-1 Spain (Anderson, 90+4')
21:55 , Will CastleAnderson steps up... AND HE CONVERTS!
Barely a celebration from the Forest boy - he means business, knowing that this is only one step further in their pursuit of defending the title.
PENALTY! England 2-1 Spain
21:54 , Will Castle90+3 mins: PENALTY! The referee points to the spot... AND IT’S FOR ENGLAND!
Rowe latches onto a flick in behind and he is just too fast for the onrushing Iturbe, who brings him down in the area.
This to seal it...
England 2-1 Spain
21:51 , Will Castle90 mins: We’re entering last chance saloon for La Roja now. Spain pepper the England box with crosses but the Young Lions survive.
The all-important number is FOUR minutes added on.
England 2-1 Spain
21:49 , Will Castle89 mins: Sharp from Nwaneri to lay it off for Norton-Cuffy, allowing him to drive into space before letting fly on his left.
It’s always rising and hits the side-netting.
England 2-1 Spain
21:47 , Will Castle86 mins: Rowe is booked for playing on after the whistle.
He claims he didn’t hear it go, but it’s important seconds wasted nonetheless.
England 2-1 Spain
21:45 , Will Castle85 mins: Loose ball out from England allows Guerra to pick it up in space, gifting Spain an opportunity in the attacking half.
Guerra plays it out to Rodriguez but Norton-Cuffy does superbly to put the tackle in and win a goal-kick.
Five more minutes, plus stoppage time, for England to survive.
England 2-1 Spain
21:41 , Will Castle79 mins: A botched clean-up job from Spain allows Stansfield to take the ball with a clear run at goal - but after all his hard running tonight, his legs just can’t get him there.
That should be it for the shattered striker - he’s given it absolutely everything - and it is as he makes way for Nwaneri.
England 2-1 Spain
21:39 , Will Castle77 mins: CHANCE! HUGE chance for England to restore their two-goal cushion.
Hinshelwood is found free right on the edge of the six-yard box, leaps but rushes his header and can only direct over.
You have to hit the target from there. How that could have settled the nerves...
England 2-1 Spain
21:32 , Will Castle72 mins: England’s two goalscorers make way as Elliott and McAtee are replaced by Hackney and Norton-Cuffy.
Spain also bring on Torre and Fernandez for Joseph and Lopez.
England 2-1 Spain
21:31 , Will Castle71 mins: CLOSE! Morton drives forward from midfield and is encouraged to go alone, stinging a shot towards the near post - just wide.
England 2-1 Spain
21:30 , Will Castle69 mins: Such a difficult ball to defend from Pubill, who whips it at medium height into the six-yard box.
Cresswell gets there first ahead of Joseph and will be grateful to see that deflect the right side of the post.
Spain are peppering England’s box at the moment.
England 2-1 Spain
21:27 , Will Castle66 mins: Rowe powers into the Spain box and fires goalwards but it's deflected out for a corner.
Nothing comes from the delivery and La Roja go up the other end. They get into the box but a backheel cutback fails to do any damage, with England clearing.
England 2-1 Spain
21:22 , Will Castle61 mins: SAVE! Huge double stop from Beadle!
It’s a wonderful Spain move that finds Guerra central in the box. The midfielder doesn’t get all of it first time around, with the keeper’s initial save perhaps not doing enough - but he more than makes up for it by making himself big for the follow up.
England 2-1 Spain
21:19 , Will Castle57 mins: Double change for Spain, now. Moro and Jauregizar for captain Turrientes and Sanchez.
This game is beginning to open up again after what was a period of early England dominance in this second half.
England 2-1 Spain
21:16 , Will Castle55 mins: First big chance of the half as Joseph dribbles into the box, getting it onto his left before letting one fly. Desperate block from Livramento but an effective one.
England 2-1 Spain
21:13 , Will Castle52 mins: Carsley makes his first changes - Anderson enters the fray in place of Scott, while Rowe comes on for Hutchinson.
England 2-1 Spain
21:12 , Will Castle51 mins: CLOSE! Everyone thought that was in!
Cresswell outmuscles his man from the corner and the net bulges like it’s gone in - but in actual fact, it’s gone just wide and hit the side-netting.
England 2-1 Spain
21:10 , Will Castle47 mins: CHANCE! Quansah goes on another marauding run forward and finds Hutchinson on the edge of the box, who produces a moment of brilliance to backheel it into the path of Stansfield in the box.
It catches everyone - Stansfield included - by surprise as the striker gets it caught beneath his feet and shoots over.
BACK UNDERWAY! England 2-1 Spain
21:06 , Will CastleWith the game beautifully poised, we are back underway!
A place in the Euros semi-final awaits. This feels huge. This is huge.
HALF-TIME! England 2-1 Spain
20:58 , Will Castle
HALF-TIME! England 2-1 Spain
20:52 , Will CastleTo say that was lively would be one hell of an understatement!
England looked in for a long night when they conceded a penalty inside two minutes, only to see it overturned by VAR.
The next 10 minutes then saw two England goals, with James McAtee and Harvey Elliott turning their nightmare start into one of a dream.
Spain rallied, however, and halved England’s lead through Javi Guerra’s spot-kick.
A huge second-half ahead.
England 2-1 Spain
20:48 , Will Castle45+3 mins: Quansah nearly falls victim of the high press as red shirts surround him on the edge of the box, but he does well to play it out and avoid any major danger.
England are holding onto their lead, for now.
England 2-1 Spain
20:45 , Will Castle45 mins: FIVE minutes added on.
England 2-1 Spain
20:44 , Will Castle44 mins: Excellent work from Hinshelwood to mop up the cross after Bueno left Elliott for dead.
England’s backs are against the wall.
England 2-1 Spain
20:42 , Will Castle41 mins: CLOSE! Spain come again immediately as Guerra lets fly, with his effort rocketing just past the post.
Beadle was rooted to the spot. A nervy five or so minutes for England until the end of the half.
Hutchinson is now down with a head injury.
GOAL! England 2-1 Spain (Guerra, 39')
20:40 , Will CastleBeadle can’t emulate Trafford’s heroics of 2023 as he is sent the wrong way by Guerra, and England’s lead is halved.
PENALTY! England 2-0 Spain
20:38 , Will Castle37 mins: PENALTY! It’s another penalty for Spain - and this one isn’t getting overturned.
England give it away cheaply and as Moleiro dances into the box, Quansah sticks out a leg and brings him down.
Stonewall. Huge moment in this game.
England 2-0 Spain
20:34 , Will Castle34 mins: Tyler Morton is shown yellow for a late challenge and will therefore miss the semi-finals, should England progress.
England 2-0 Spain
20:30 , Will Castle30 mins: Awkward corner delivery from Spain but the header goes just wide.
The chance doesn’t go without some punishment for England, with Livramento down after being clattered in the air.
England 2-0 Spain
20:28 , Will Castle27 mins: Spain’s high press is putting England in some trouble, but so far it’s only really led to the referee blowing for a foul. They’re protecting the ball well enough at the moment.
England 2-0 Spain
20:22 , Will Castle21 mins: After a prolonged period of England possession, Guerra does really well to dispossess Stansfield on halfway.
Now they need to do something with the ball.
England 2-0 Spain
20:19 , Will Castle18 mins: After such a strong start, Spain do not know what’s hit them.
England threaten again as they get a ball in behind and onto the byline, but the cutback is parried away.
GOAL! England 2-0 Spain (Elliott, 15')
20:16 , Will CastleIt looked like a nightmare start at first, but it’s turned into a dream!
It’s the two Liverpool boys as Quansah drives forward and lets fly from range - the keeper gets down to save but spills it, allowing Harvey Elliott to follow in and tap home!
GOAL! England 1-0 Spain (McAtee, 10')
20:11 , Will CastleEngland started poorly, but they’ve been lifted by that penalty overturned and now take the lead!
It’s McAtee who’s Johnny on the spot, knocking home from a corner following Hutchinson’s flick at the front post.
NO PENALTY! England 0-0 Spain
20:06 , Will Castle5 mins: NO PENALTY! The referee overturns his decision!
It was harsh call on Cresswell, who was moving his arm back towards his body and got struck with a fast ball.
The right decision, but a massive reprieve nonetheless for an England side who have started very poorly.
PENALTY! England 0-0 Spain
20:04 , Will Castle2 mins: PENALTY! It’s a nightmare start for England - the ball hits Cresswell’s arm and the ref points to the spot.
But wait - there may be a reprieve as VAR advise an on-field review...
England 0-0 Spain
20:02 , Will Castle1 min: CHANCE! Alarm bells already for England.
A cross is lifted towards the back post, a ball that Hinshelwood doesn’t win, but Diego Lopez can’t head on target as it’s nodded back into the centre.
KICK-OFF! England 0-0 Spain
20:00 , Will CastleWe’re underway in Slovakia!
The players are out!
20:00 , Will CastleWe're moments away from kick-off as both sets of players take to the pitch.
National anthems have been played - here we go!
T-minus 10 minutes until kick-off!
19:50 , Will CastleJust 10 minutes until we get underway in Trnava.
Will Spain avenge final heartbreak from two years prior? Or will the Young Lions have La Roja’s number to keep their European Championship title defence alive?
We’ll have all the action, up next.
Lee Carsley on reigniting England's rivalry with Spain
19:40 , Will CastleReady for our #U21EURO quarter-final 💪
— England (@England) June 20, 2025
Hear from #YoungLions boss Lee Carsley on tomorrow's game against Spain... pic.twitter.com/zWi523RPZV
The challenge Spain pose
19:30 , Will CastleSpain finished top of Group A after wins against Slovakia and Romania and a 1-1 draw with Italy last time out.
They have already shown their battling qualities after netting late winners in their first two games, so this is going to be anything but easy for Carsley’s side, who will need their experienced players to step up.
Lee Carsley’s side will take some confidence from the fact that their opponents have conceded in all three matches so far, but they have also scored six.
England managed three in their opening game against Czechia but were held to a goalless draw against Slovenia and struggled to break down Germany, but they will have to be at both their attacking and defensive best on Saturday.
Lee Carsley ‘delighted’ for Liam Delap despite England U21 absence
19:20 , Will CastleLee Carsley’s Young Lions are without one notable attacking force for their European Championship title defence in Liam Delap, who is at the Club World Cup with Chelsea.
However, Carsley insists there are no hard feelings: “I’m definitely not disappointed. I’m delighted for Liam and his family.
“It’s a brilliant thing for an English centre-forward to play in the Premier League at such a prestigious club like Chelsea.
“Hopefully, he’ll do really well there and push for the senior team. We’ll move on. We’ve moved on quite quickly.”
Lee Carsley ‘delighted’ for Liam Delap despite England Under-21 absence
A painful deja vu for Spain?
19:10 , Will CastleIt was heartache for La Roja when these two sides met in 2023’s European Championship final.
Curtis Jones’ strike proved the difference, but it was James Trafford who emerged the hero, saving Abel Ruiz’s last-gasp penalty to secure the title for the Young Lions.
Lee Carsley will be eager for a repeat!
Line-ups CONFIRMED!
18:59 , Will CastleEngland XI: Beadle; Hinshelwood, Cresswell, Quansah, Livramento; Scott, Morton; Elliott, McAtee, Hutchinson; Stansfield.
Spain XI: Iturbe; Pubill, Tarrega, Mosquera, Bueno; Guerra, Turrientes; Sanchez, Moleiro, Lopez; Joseph.
Your #YoungLions to take on Spain in tonight's #U21EURO quarter-final! 🦁 pic.twitter.com/0mfD5clD5S
— England (@England) June 21, 2025
🥷 ¡Nuestros once guerreros!
— Selección Española Masculina de Fútbol (@SEFutbol) June 21, 2025
🇪🇸 🆚 🏴
🕘 21:00
📺 @La1_tve#U21EURO | #NuestraBase pic.twitter.com/XrcdHisiO0
Last time out for the Young Lions
18:45 , Will CastleEngland missed out on an easier quarter-final draw after they were beaten 2-1 by Germany in their final group game in Slovakia to finish runners-up in Group B.
Lee Carsley's side needed a victory in Nitra to go through to the knockout rounds in first place, but despite already-qualified Germany making 11 changes, the reigning champions struggled to impose themselves and conceded both goals in the first half.
An excellent finish by Eintracht Frankfurt winger Ansgar Knauff and a header from forward Nelson Weiper of Mainz sent the 2023 winners to defeat and left them to face pre-tournament favourites Spain - who they beat in the final two years ago.
Read the full report below:
England U21s beaten by much-changed Germany but still qualify for Euros knockouts
Odds for the quarter-final
18:30 , Will CastleSpain win - 5/4
Draw - 12/5
England win - 21/10
The Independent vets betting sites for useability, security and responsible gambling tools. You can claim free bets here to use across a range of sports. Please read the terms.
Spain team news
18:15 , Will CastleFor Spain, defender Marc Pubill is a doubt after coming off against Italy with an injury, and he could be replaced by Eric Garcia, with Barcelona’s Gerard Martin replacing him at left-back.
Barcelona’s Pablo Torre could come in to the starting line-up ahead of Alberto Moleiro, while Valencia’s Javi Guerra will hope to earn a place over Mikel Jauregizar or Pablo Marin.
Jesus Rodriguez will hope to keep his wing place after scoring against Italy, with Raul Moro and Roberto Fernandez potentially completing the forward line as they did against the Azzurri.
Predicted Spain XI: Cunat; Pubill, Marin, Herzog, Garcia; Jauregizar, Marin; Moro, Torre, Rodriguez; Fernandez.
England team news
18:00 , Will CastleFor England, Birmingham’s Jay Stansfield will be hoping to make the starting line-up ahead of Jonathan Rowe, while James McAtee could come in for Harvey Elliott in attacking midfield.
Tino Livramento could come in for Jack Hinshelwood at right-back, while Tyler Morton will hope to make an appearance in midfield.
Predicted England XI: Beadle; Livramento, Cresswell, Quansah, Iling-Junior; Anderson, Scott; Nwaneri, Elliott, Hutchinson; Rowe.
Is England U21 vs Spain U21 on TV? How to watch European Championship quarter-final
17:45 , Will CastleThe match will kick off at 8pm BST on Saturday, 21 June in Trnava, Slovakia.
It will take place at the at the Anton Malatinský stadium, which is home to local side Spartak Trnava and has a capacity of around 19,200.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the UK can watch the match for free on Channel 4, with coverage starting at 7.15pm. Subscribers can also stream the action online via Channel 4 On Demand.
England U21 vs Spain U21 LIVE!
17:30 , Will CastleGood afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of England U21’s European Championship quarter-final against Spain U21.
The clash is a repeat of the 2023 Euros final, in which Lee Carsley's side came out 1-0 victors thanks to a Curtis Jones goal.
They’ll hope for similar fortunes to keep their title defence alive, but face a tough challenge against a Spain side yet to be beaten in the competition.
We’ll have all the build-up and team news, right here.
