England U21 vs Austria U21 Review

England U21s 5-1 Austria

U21 European Championships 2020

Stadium MK

Thursday 15^th October 2019



Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah, who is on loan at Leeds United, claimed tonight’s match ball as England U21s smashed Austria 5-1 to go top of the qualification group.



England started positively, with Burnley winger Dwight McNeil winning an early corner for the Young Lions, which ultimately ended in nothing. England continued to threaten the Austrian defence, as Nketiah chips the ball into an open net, only for it to be disallowed for a clear offside. Dwight McNeil, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Phil Foden combined for another early chance, but the Man City midfielder drove the ball wide of Fabain Ehmann’s net. Nketiah was caught offside again, this time chipping his shot wide, but England fans were hopeful that their attacking threat would eventually amount to something.


Lukas Malicsek threatened with Austria’s first real chance of the game in the tenth minute, drilling wide from the edge of the area.


England finally made their pressure pay off eleven minutes into the game. Max Aarons, 
Norwich’s exciting right back, received the ball on the right wing and drove towards the area where he pulled it to the edge of the box for Callum Hudson-Odoi smashed home with the side foot into the roof of the net.


The Young Lions side continued to threaten, and Nketiah continued to look dangerous, getting himself into a good position, but was unable to reach a McNeil cross. The young striker spurned another first half chance who shot went straight at the keeper. The Arsenal loanee redeemed himself, as he turned in a loose ball from Lloyd Kelly’s header after a Foden corner.


Austria started to play dirty, committing a succession of needless fouls, and Dario Maresic found himself booked after a shove on Foden, with the young midfielder finding himself on the end of many challenges tonight.


The English team showed their dominance and control of the game, piling on intense pressure and flurries of chances, peppering the Austrian defence, and Eddie Nketiah scored his second, and England’s third with a towering header from a McNeil cross. English fans didn’t have to wait long for the next goal – Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi took the ball from inside his own half to the edge of Austria’s area, and whipped his shot into the top right corner on the stroke of half time, giving England a healthy 4-0 lead at the break.


The Young Lions started the second half brightly, with an early Foden freekick- met by the feet of captain Tom Davies, but his attempt was right at the keeper. Chances came quickly, especially on the counter, with Dwight McNeil curling over.


England were caught napping, Christoph Buamgarter beat Marc Guehi in the air and headed into the near post, in what only proved to be a consolation goal for the visitors.

Nketiah wrapped up his hattrick after 78 minutes, tapping home from close range, meeting substitute Rhian Brewster’s cross. The young Arsenal striker could’ve had a fourth goal, if it wasn’t for goalkeeper Fabian Ehmann saving a late penalty, making up for his foul on Brewster.


The win for the Young Lions sees them overtake their visitors at the summit of Group 3, with an eight-goal swing on goal difference.  

Hattrick hero Eddie Nketiah was one of many standout players for England tonight, taking home the match ball and Man of the Match award on a productive night for him, and his fellow Young Lions.