U21 European Championship 2015 Results: Saturday Scores and Sunday Schedule
The Czech Republic bounced back from their loss against Denmark with a huge 4-0 win over Serbia during Saturday's 2015 Under-21 European Championship action, while Germany grabbed the lead in Group A with a 3-0 win over Denmark.
Jan Kliment scored a hat-trick for the Czechs, who will go head-to-head with Germany in their final match with a ticket for the next round on the line. Captain Kevin Volland was the big hero for the Germans, scoring twice to give the tournament favourites the top spot in the group.
On Sunday, Sweden will meet England in Group B, while Italy take on Portugal. Here's how Saturday's action played out.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Serbia 0-4 Czech Republic
Kliment's hat-trick will undoubtedly steal the headlines, but the Czech Republic produced a fantastic performance as a team to beat Serbia, who managed to hold the Germans to a 1-1 draw in their first match.
Jiri Skalak in particular stood out, but there were no poor performances on the Czech side. The team took the lead through Kliment after just eight minutes and doubled their advantage midway through the first half.
They were lucky not to go down a man when Tomas Kalas appeared to commit a foul as the last defender, per Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe, but it would have been a harsh punishment:
It was a minor miracle the score was just 2-0 at half-time. Kliment could have scored three or four goals easily, the Czechs hit the bar and Serbia had no answer for the attacking onslaught throughout the half.
Tighe was shocked by what he was seeing from the Czech Republic:
Serbian fans undoubtedly hoped for a better showing in the second half, but a third goal from Kliment just about wrapped up the result.
Czech football blogger Chris Boothroyd thought the forward made a huge statement toward potential suitors looking for a striker in the summer transfer window:
Martin Frydek scored immediately after, making it 4-0, and the Czechs finally decided to take their foot off the gas, allowing the Serbs some space to breathe.
The Serbian defence allowed runners to dive in the space behind them all match long, potentially exposing a big weakness as we head for the final matchday in Group A. Serbia can still qualify for the next round, but they face the daunting task of booking their ticket with a win over Denmark and will need some help from the other teams.
Germany 3-0 Denmark
Germany took the lead in Group A with a 3-0 win over Denmark thanks to a brace from Volland and a goal from Matthias Ginter, and with that result, a draw against the Czech Republic on the final matchday will see Die Mannschaft qualify for the next round.
After the disappointing draw against Serbia, captain Volland acknowledged the team had to improve, as reported by the German football association's official website: "Ahead of the game, I warned everyone about the threat Serbia pose. As you say, they are a good and aggressive side. We now know where we stand and know that we need to step things up."
Clearly, Volland took his own advice, scoring twice as Germany cruised to a win. He first found himself on the end of a delightful pass from Emre Can, and he doubled his tally with a superb free-kick. The Germans dominated this match from start to finish, to the delight of Tighe:
Can was brilliant in midfield―are you watching, Brendan Rodgers?―while Volland tortured the Danish defence with timely runs throughout the match, and in return, the tournament dark horses could muster little danger.
Denmark looked excellent in their win over the Czech Republic, but they were always one step slower than their German opponents. Germany's big stars in particular stood out, and Can rightly received tons of praise on social media. The New York Times' Cristian Nyari isn't shocked the Liverpool man is finding success with the under-21 side:
Germany lead Group A with four points, one more than Denmark and the Czech Republic and three more than Serbia. None of the four teams have qualified for the next round, and all four still have a chance to make it. A draw against the Czech Republic will see the Germans through, and even if they lose, they could still qualify if Denmark and Serbia draw their final match.
Serbia need to beat Denmark and hope the Czech Republic don't get a result against Germany, while the Danes will advance with a win over Serbia. If they draw their final match, their fate will depend on the outcome of the other Group A match.
