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Lee Carsley challenged England to create a legacy as they aim to clinch back-to-back European Under-21 Championship titles.
The Young Lions, who beat Spain 1-0 to claim the title back in 2023, will come up against Germany in the showpiece on Saturday in Bratislava.
Should England retain their crown, they would become the first team since Spain in 2011 and 2013 to win consecutive titles.
It would also mirror their own achievements in the 1980s, when they won it twice in a row, and Carsley is determined to watch England create more history this weekend.
“Dave Sexton started off great in terms of the tournament starting in ’78; he won it in ’82 and ’84,” Carsley told reporters.
“That’s us getting off to a great start. You’d like to see a period of domination where we didn’t do that.
“Spain have done it, Italy have done it, Germany have done it, the Netherlands have done it. We have to make sure that we’re there or thereabouts.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence with the players. From my point of view, I always want the players to do well. I know the rewards they’ll get as a team if they do well. I don’t see it as a reflection on myself. I just want them to do well because you want to support English players in the pathway.”
England met Germany in the group stage, with Antonio Di Salvo’s much-changed side running out 2-1 winners in a clinical victory.
They scored with both of their shots on target, while goalkeeper Tjark Ernst made four saves as he helped deny England’s chances of a second-half comeback.
The Opta supercomputer believes England have a slightly better chance of winning the title, as they won 37.4% of the pre-match simulations, with Germany triumphing in 35.3%.
England did not face top scorer Nico Woltemade in that match, though, with the German netting six goals in the tournament so far, two more than Harvey Elliott, who scored both of the Young Lions’ goals in their 2-1 win over the Netherlands.
“We come up against all kinds of players with different attributes,” Carsley said of Woltemade.
“I think the Premier League is so unique as well that you are up against players like that, who are fast, strong, quick, and tall. Our defenders are used to it from an English point of view, that contact, that physical side of the game.
“I think he’s a player that we’re well aware of, along with two or three of the other players for Germany.
“They’ve got some good players, a really good team, unbeaten so far as well. I’m sure they’ve got a lot of confidence and a team that we’re looking forward to playing against.”
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