U21 European Championships 2015 Results: Sunday Scores and Tuesday Schedule
England grabbed their first win at the 2015 Under-21 European Championships on Sunday, beating Sweden 1-0 thanks to a goal from Jesse Lingard. Italy and Portugal shared the spoils in Group B's other match, setting up an exciting scenario for the final matchday.
All teams are separated by just three points and can still qualify for the next round, ensuring plenty of excitement in the final matches. England will play Italy, while Portugal take on Sweden.
Play in Group A concludes on Tuesday, as the Czech Republic take on Germany and Denmark face off with Serbia. Here's the full schedule:
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| Tuesday, June 23 | 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET | Czech Republic v Germany |
| Tuesday, June 23 | 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET | Denmark v Serbia |
Sweden 0-1 England
Lingard scored with just five minutes on the clock to give England their first points of the 2015 Under-21 European Championships, keeping the team's chances to advance to the knockout round alive in the process.
The midfielder found the back of the net with a beautiful strike after the ball fell to him from a corner, giving England a well-deserved win after the side dominated possession throughout.
Indeed, the Three Lions' inability to score once again looked like it would lead to a disappointing result. For 85 minutes, the likes of Harry Kane missed chance after chance, as noted by STV Sport's Stefan Bienkowski:
Sweden lined up in a classic 4-4-2 and cluttered the midfield areas, which troubled the English XI greatly. While Will Hughes and Company did well to keep possession of the ball, they ran into a Swedish wall every time they tried to advance into enemy territory.
Working the ball wide resulted in a handful of chances for Kane and Hughes, but the duo couldn't convert from close range twice in quick succession. Sweden's tactical resilience impressed Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe:
Kane nearly opened the scoring immediately after the half-time break and really should have done better before Alex Pritchard, one of the top performers on the pitch until that point, was subbed off for Lingard because of an injury.
England and Sweden appeared to be headed for a scoreless draw until the introduction of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who gave the Three Lions a bit of bite in midfield. First, he teed up Danny Ings in the box, a move that should have resulted in a penalty for England after both he and Ings appeared to be fouled.
Minutes later, he set up Nathan Redmond, who forced the corner that resulted in England's only goal. According to WhoScored.com, the goal ended a significant drought for the Three Lions:
Tighe gave Loftus-Cheek credit for turning the match on its head, and the youngster may have just earned himself a starting spot in England's final group-stage match against Italy:
Lingard's goal was an absolute beauty, and after the match, England manager Gareth Southgate spoke with great admiration of the midfielder, per the Daily Telegraph's Henry Winter:
England and Sweden are now tied on points in Group B, and both teams will have to give it their all on the final matchday to ensure passage to the next round. The Three Lions face Italy, while Sweden take on Portugal.
Italy 0-0 Portugal
Portugal and Italy played out an entertaining 0-0 draw in Group B's other match, the perfect result for England as they attempt to make it to the next round. The Italians had the better chances but never looked likely to find a winner.
The Azzurrini were determined to bounce back from their disappointing showing against Sweden and came out firing, putting together a number of early chances. Domenico Berardi in particular looked impressive, carving through the Portuguese defence with relative ease.
The Sassuolo forward picked out Andrea Belotti with a delightful pass, and his compatriot really should have given Italy the lead. Tighe liked what he saw from the Azzurrini:
Portugal looked excellent in their first match against England, but they played without any inspiration on Sunday. Joao Mario came close to giving his team the lead, however, somehow firing wide in front of a gaping net.
Despite their early setbacks, they started taking control of the match more, although Italy remained the better side. Berardi continued his fine work, but despite his best efforts, the score was still 0-0 after an hour of play.
The Independent's Dylan Fahy lauded Berardi, whom Juventus co-own, although it became painfully clear his team-mates couldn't do enough to support his excellent play:
Belotti had another great chance to score after 70 minutes, messing up his shot at the near post, while Bernardo Silva flashed a dangerous shot across the goal for Portugal. Carlos Mane also came close to finding a late winner, but after 90 minutes, the match ended with the same score it started with.
Portugal lead Group B with four points, one more than England and Sweden and three more than the Italians. The Azzurrini will have to beat England in their final match and hope Sweden lose to Portugal in order to qualify, while England will be safe with a win but could still qualify with a draw. For Portugal, a draw against Sweden will do.
