Nwaneri helps England U21 seal Euros qualification as Jobe Bellingham returns to Dortmund early

Borussia Dortmund’s Ethan Nwaneri featured for England U21 in their goalless draw with Slovakia in Stoke. The solitary point was enough to confirm that the 2023 and 2025 champions will appear in the 2027 edition in Albania and Serbia.

While his clubmate Jobe Bellingham was allowed to return to Dortmund after his “Man of the Match” performance against Kazakhstan, Nwaneri was in the starting lineup once again as he played 70 minutes.

Meanwhile, Köln’s Jahmai Simpson-Pusey will hope to make his debut when they close their qualification campaign against second-placed Republic of Ireland on October 6th. The center-back was part of Lee Carsley’s squad for the first time on Friday, but he didn't get a chance to feature. 

Kaiserslautern's midfielder Mario Sauer was the captain of Slovakia U21 in their valiant performance, while his younger brother Leo, who is playing for Stuttgart, featured for the senior national team in their 1-1 draw with Faroe Islands in the UEFA Nations League action.

With a game to spare, England confirmed their place in the final tournament with 23 points. In addition to the co-hosts, Croatia, Norway and Portugal also secured their spots for the 26th edition of the U21 European Championship.

Germany will need three points against Georgia in Bielefeld on Tuesday to make sure of their qualification. Antonio Di Salvo’s side and Greece are on equal points before the final matchday, but Germany have the head-to-head advantage as Greece hope to finish ahead of Italy in the ranking of second-placed teams.