England and Croatia Settle for 3-3 Draw in 2019 U-21 Euros

England and Croatia drew 3-3 at the Under-21 UEFA European Championships on Monday, with both teams already eliminated from the competition.

England were the aggressors in the opening moments and earned a breakthrough after 11 minutes. Croatian defender Branimir Kalaica brought down Reiss Nelson in the box, allowing the Arsenal forward to pick himself up and score from the penalty spot.

Josip Brekalo grabbed an equaliser with an emphatic finish seven minutes before half-time.

England were back in the lead just two minutes into the second half, with James Maddison providing a clinical finish.

Croatia continued to fight and scored a second equaliser after 62 minutes through Nikola Vlasic.

The English regained the lead once again, with Jonjoe Kenny's long-range blockbuster netting after 70 minutes.

However, further mistakes by England's defence allowed Brekalo to make it 3-3 with eight minutes on the clock.

The final Group C match in San Marino constantly swung back and forth, and England were unable to hold their advantages after an impressive start.

Nelson slalomed into the box early in the match, and Borevkovic could not stop the former Hoffenheim loanee as he conceded the foul.

Sky Sports Football shared footage of the moment:

Nelson was cool as he put his spot-kick into the net, giving England a deserved lead.

However, the Young Lions have disappointed in a competition they were expected to excel in, and their defence once again was left wanting.

Brekalo exposed the cracks in the back four, and the Wolfsburg forward proved why he is a highly regarded talent. The 21-year-old skipped past Everton defender Kenny and finished with confidence.

England had their heads down as the players trudged off for half-time, but Aidy Boothroyd's men responded in a tremendous fashion.

The English were quickly out of the blocks. Maddison took up a good position in the box, and when the ball fell at his feel, the Leicester City midfielder fired home.

However, the defensive woes continued for the Young Lions. England once again were sloppy, allowing Vlasic, formerly of Everton, to make it 2-2 shortly after the hour mark.

Errors have underpinned England's tournament, and their psychology appears to have been affected by their poor consistency.

Kenny's long-range strike had England back in the lead soon after, but once again, the story of the game was about the English defence.

Poor defending allowed Brekalo to complete his brace in the closing stages. Boothroyd's back line has been the undoing of his team, and they ended their campaign with yet another mistake.

England had high hopes of winning this competition, but in their current form, they are significantly behind the best sides at the Euros.