Nathan Redmond missed the crucial spot-kick for
the Young Lions with Stefan Kuntz's side set to face Italy or Spain in the final
Julian
Pollersbeck was the hero as he saved Nathan Redmond's penalty to send Germany
into the European Under-21 Championship final with a 4-3 shoot-out win over
England in Tychy.
With the scores level at 2-2 after 90 minutes and
extra-time unable to provide a winner, the semi-final went to spot-kicks and
Pollersbeck's save from Redmond proved decisive.
Stefan Kuntz's side will take on the victor
from the other semi-final between Spain and Italy in Friday's final.
Germany took the lead when Davie Selke powered a
header home from Jeremy Toljan's cross, but Demarai Gray thumped in a volley
to send the teams into half-time level.
England moved clear five minutes after the restart
when Tammy Abraham turned a cross from Will Hughes – signed by Premier League
side Watford last week – into the back of the net.
Felix Platte, a second-half replacement for the
injured Selke, angled home a near-post header to restore parity and thought he
had nodded in the winner with 12 minutes remaining, only to see the flag raised
for offside.
There was nothing to separate the sides in
regulation time, while Nadiem Amiri was unable to steer a cross from Toljan in
the closing stages of the second added period into the net.
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was the
first to make a save in the shoot-out when he kept out Yannick Gerhardt, but a
tame effort from Abraham saw England's chance to open an advantage evaporate.
After Amiri found the corner with a powerful effort from Germany's fifth
spot-kick, Pollersbeck blocked Redmond's effort to send Germany into the
showpiece.
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