England Coach Urges Team to Build on Second-half Performance

England U21s face a must-win match against Spain in the European Championship quarterfinals. Get the latest updates on the team's chances and preparations.

Manager Lee Carsley wants his England Under-21 side to replicate their strong second-half display against Germany when they face Spain in the European Championship quarterfinals. Despite a disappointing first half against Germany, where they were beaten 2-1, the team showed improvement after the break, highlighted by Alex Scott's goal. Carsley is urging them to carry this momentum into the crucial match against Spain in Trnava.

England's Under-21 side faces a must-win match against Spain, with elimination looming if they fail to deliver. According to Opta, the team has a 35% chance of winning in normal time, slightly trailing Spain's 37%.

Manager Lee Carsley believes his England Under-21 side doesn't feel like underdogs against Spain. Speaking at their training base, he said, “I don't feel like an underdog. There's massive expectancy against Spain, and if we can perform, that's all we need to do.”

“If we can perform and we can play to our ability, we've got a great chance of winning the game. I believe Spain are a top team and anyone who was with us in the last few Euros knows you have to beat all of the top teams.

“Spain are another team I've got a lot of respect for, the final we had a couple of years ago was so close.

“It could have gone either way. We scored a fortunate goal and played OK in the game, but there's definitely a lot more to come from us if we're going to progress.”

The quarter-final match between England and Spain in Trnava promises to be a possession-based encounter. England tops both possession and pass completion statistics, with Spain closely following. Manager Lee Carsley acknowledged the importance of controlling possession, stating, “It has got to be one of our objectives against Spain, a team that is really possession-based.”

“Having all this possession, we've got to finish with an end product. Unfortunately, getting that end product means risking the chance of giving the ball away, which we have to.

“We want our players to play with risk, we have to encourage them to get into areas of the pitch and express themselves.”

Determined to Make an Impact

Tino Livramento, one of the experienced players in the England squad, is determined to make the most of his first national team tournament. Despite missing out two years ago due to injury, he believes his time is limited in age-group football and is focused on helping the team progress.

Speaking ahead of Carsley, the Newcastle United full-back said: “I knew coming into this had to be my last camp for the 21s, so it's a big thing but, again it's just partnered with excitement just to go out there and enjoy the occasion and play as well as I can...”

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It's Spain on Saturday in Slovakia for a spot in the semi-finals 👊 pic.twitter.com/N3q4sZB50G

— England (@England) June 18, 2025

“We've got amazing individuals. I think it's sort of just only a matter of time before the team fully clicks, and tomorrow is just a great opportunity to go out there and do that against a great team like Spain.”

Tino Livramento didn't play against Germany, having started the opening group games against the Czech Republic and Slovenia. The break gave him a chance to rest and recharge ahead of the quarterfinal match against Spain.

He added: “I definitely feel fresher now, having not played against Germany, but I think when you play at a high level throughout the whole season, I played a lot of games this term, so if Lee wanted to play me he could have played me, he knew that, so I think the main thing is we're into a quarter-final and I'm ready to go.”

Tino Livramento, who has been linked with a move to Manchester City, remains focused on helping England progress in the tournament while in Slovakia.

Asked about his future at St James' Park, he replied: “The manager (Newcastle's Eddie Howe), I'm in constant contact with him. He has just said to keep focusing on what you're doing now, and you're doing so well.

“So I think having that relationship with someone that is obviously such a big figure in what I've done so far, I think, is an amazing thing for me.”