England U21s Look to Beat Portugal and Reach Semi-Finals
Lee Carsley, the England Under-21s head coach, is confident that his side can beat Portugal on Sunday and progress to the semi-finals of the European Under-21 Championship. The Young Lions have had a perfect start to the tournament in Georgia, with three consecutive 2-0 victories seeing them top their group.
Belief in Young Players
Carsley believes that his team has some of the best young players in Europe and that if they are given the opportunity to express themselves, they can show it. He said: “If we can create an environment where they can express themselves, we’ve got some of the best young players in Europe. Half of it is believing in them. Create a platform for them to create and attack. That for me is success – good players who can produce when it matters.”
Preparations for Portugal Match
Carsley is confident that his team is ready for the match against Portugal and that they have prepared for all eventualities. He said: “I don’t feel like we’ve got cabin fever and are ready to go. I still feel like there is a lot more from the team. I think they have different levels they can go to. We’ve definitely focused on going all the way. I’m not getting a feeling the players are looking beyond this game. Hopefully we’ll be there for the duration.”
Absences
England will be without Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliot who has left the camp for a pre-planned family engagement. Manchester City midfielder Tommy Doyle is also a doubt for the match at the Ramaz Shengelia Stadium in Kutaisi with a knock on his knee he picked up in training.
Broadcast Rights
Unfortunately, no broadcaster in the UK has purchased the rights to televise the England team’s matches, which Carsley believes is a shame as it would have been great for more people to see what the next senior internationals look like. He said: “It’s a little bit frustrating because you always want to showcase the next generation. We hope if we can keep progressing then we can get a little bit more coverage.”
Match Details
The match against Portugal will be played at the Ramaz Shengelia Stadium in Kutaisi, Georgia on Sunday 2 July at 17:00 BST. It is available to watch for free on the Uefa website. If England beat Portugal, they will play either hosts Georgia or Israel who they have already beaten in Group C at the Batumi Arena on Wednesday, July 5 with the final held in the same stadium on July 8.