Here’s our guide to the 22nd European Under-21 Championships which have just got under way…
Where is the tournament being held?
The host nations are Italy and San Marino.
Venues for the games are the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara in Bologna, the Mapei Stadium in Reggio Emilia, the Stadio Dino Manuzzi in Cesena, the Stadio Nereo Rocco in Trieste, the Dacia Arena in Udine and the San Marino Stadium in Serravalle, San Marino.
The semi-finals will be staged in Bologna and Reggio Emilia, with both games taking place on June 27th.
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The final will be held on June 30 in Udine.
Which countries are competing?
There are 12 countries competing, split in three groups of four…
Group A: Italy, Poland, Belgium, Spain
Group B: Germany, Denmark, Serbia, Austria
Group C: England, France, Romania, Croatia
How many City players have been selected?
Phil Foden could have a key role to play as he is part of the England squad.
The youngster has already tasted success at junior international level, having been named Player of the Tournament when England U17s lifted the World Cup in 2017.
Former City goalkeeper Angus Gunn, now at Southampton, is also part of the Young Lions party.
Meanwhile young striker Lukas Nmecha, who spent last season on loan with Preston North End, is part of Germany’s squad.
When are our players playing?
Lukas Nmecha was an unused substitute as holders Germany began the defence of their crown with a 3-1 win over Denmark last night.
The group game dates are as follows:
18 June: England v France 8pm
20 June: Serbia v Germany 8pm
21 June: England v Romania 5.30pm
23 June: Austria v Germany 8pm
24 June: Croatia v England 8pm
Tournament format
The four sides in each group face each other in a round-robin format, with the three group winners advancing to the semi-finals along with the best runner-up. It then becomes a knockout competition.
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In the knockout stage, extra time and a penalty shoot-out will be used to decide the winners if necessary.
Olympic link
The finals also serve as European qualifying for the 2020 Olympic football tournament, with the top four teams booking places in Japan. Should England (ineligible for the Olympic men’s football tournament) qualify for the semi-finals, the second and third best runners-up will contest an Olympic play-off.
In that event, the game will take place at 9pm on Friday, 28 June in Cesena.
Where can I watch the games?
In the UK, you can watch the games live on Sky Sports, with highlights being shown on ITV.
