Lee Carsley’s England Under-21 side has a chance to emulate Dave Sexton’s class of 1982 and 1984 and become European champions on Saturday, after defeating Israel in their semi-final on Wednesday night.
England reached the showpiece thanks to a Morgan Gibbs-White masterclass that featured his opening strike of the tournament, a key role in Cole Palmer’s second, plus numerous flicks and runs – all the more impressive as it came after an early penalty miss. Cameron Archer’s 90-minute finish made this an emphatic victory and in the final England will face Spain in Batumi, Georgia.
A delighted Carsley said: “All the credit goes to the squad – they’re a very determined bunch. But there are still a lot of things we can sharpen up ahead of the next game.”
England’s anthem before kick‑off closed with the captain, Taylor Harwood‑Bellis, telling his team “let’s go boys” and they responded in the country’s 10th semi‑final appearance and Israel’s bow in the last four.
Guy Luzon’s side were overrun by a red wave that began when Luke Thomas found Anthony Gordon who relayed to his strike partner, Emile Smith Rowe, before Israel’s goalkeeper, Tomer Tzarfati, squeezed the ball away from his feet.
Israel’s packed shape cast this as a test of how creative England could be and what those in white did not require was the Tzarfati dawdle that presaged the penalty. Hassled by Gordon, the keeper lost the ball and Smith Rowe’s initial shot was blocked. When he was teed up again Tzarfati pushed the effort on to his right post, Gordon was felled by Karem Jaber and Morten Krogh pointed to the spot.
After a prolonged VAR check – Gordon appeared in thespian-mode when going down – the referee was vindicated but Gibbs-White spooned his kick wide.
Israel’s response featured Gibbs‑White scrambling a Jaber header clear from Oscar Gloukh’s delivery from the left and Stav Lemkin missing an attempt from Gloukh’s follow-up corner from the right. This meant England were still to concede in this tournament and by the interval they were ahead: Gibbs‑White ghosted expertly into the area to float home a header from Palmer’s cross in a fine riposte to his missed spot-kick.
As bright was a Gibbs‑White backheel to Smith Rowe that had the latter shooting wide in an opening salvo to the second half. Next, the effervescent Gibbs-White again broke in behind to volley – and miss – Angel Gomes’s aerial ball.
A second England goal felt inevitable. Gordon forced a corner with a deflected shot and from this they gave their foes the runaround via cute and prolonged keep-ball play masterminded by Curtis Jones’s official man‑of-the-match display. The contest had become even more of a game of attack v defence, Israel reduced to chopping at their opponents – Gomes the main victim – and hoping England would allow them a way back.
They did not: a Gibbs-White burst fed Smith Rowe who, on sliding to the turf, skimmed the ball over and the marauding Palmer, at an acute angle, stabbed in.
This was match over and England had set up the prospect of claiming a third title at this level by being in close to total control from first whistle to the last – Anan Khalaili’s late header forcing James Trafford into his first save of the game.
Gibbs-White said: “I’m pretty speechless right now. We’ve been working so hard with the same team for the last two years, and our only goal was to reach this final.”
