England U21s Look to Continue Perfect Start Against Israel
England’s Under-21 team will be looking to continue their perfect start to the European Under-21 Championships when they take on Israel this weekend. The Young Lions lived up to their early tag as pre-tournament favourites with a convincing 2-0 win over the Czech Republic. Goals from Aston Villa star Jacob Ramsey and Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe saw Lee Carsley’s men secure victory in their opening game.
Holders Germany and Israel played out a 1-1 draw in the other match, meaning England are now in the driving seat for qualification. The match between England and Israel will take place on Sunday, June 25, and talkSPORT 2 will have live coverage from the Ramaz Shengelias Sakhelobis Stadioni in Georgia, with kick-off scheduled for 5 pm UK time.
Team News
Smith Rowe, who has the most senior international experience, will be pushing for a start following his goal off the bench. Cameron Archer also provided a lively cameo and could be a different option in attack to Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon.
England U21 Squad in Full
Goalkeepers: Josh Griffiths (West Bromwich Albion), Carl Rushworth (Brighton and Hove Albion), James Trafford (Manchester City)
Defenders: Max Aarons (Norwich City), Jarrad Branthwaite (Everton), Levi Colwill (Chelsea), Charlie Cresswell (Leeds United), Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Manchester City), Ben Johnson (West Ham United), Luke Thomas (Leicester City)
Midfielders: Tommy Doyle (Manchester City), Harvey Elliott (Liverpool), James Garner (Everton), Angel Gomes (Lille), Curtis Jones (Liverpool), Jacob Ramsey (Aston Villa), Oliver Skipp (Tottenham Hotspur)
Forwards: Cameron Archer (Aston Villa), Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle United), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Cole Palmer (Manchester City) Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal)
What Has Been Said?
England Under-21s head coach Carsley praised the spirit of his squad following their opening win over the Czech Republic. “I am really pleased to get the result,” Carsley said on UEFA.com. “The preparation has gone really well, but I didn’t want to jinx us before the game by saying that. There is a brilliant spirit within the lads. We feel like we’re in a good place.”
Arsenal midfielder Smith Rowe added: “We wanted to make a statement in the first game. We knew the Czechs would be really strong, so we are really happy with the three points.”
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Conclusion
England’s Under-21 team will be looking to continue their impressive start to the European Under-21 Championships when they take on Israel this weekend. With a perfect start to the tournament so far, England will be hoping to secure another victory and put themselves in a strong position for qualification. Fans can tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 to catch all the action live.