England maintained their 100 per cent record in the UEFA U17 European Championship to set up a quarter-final tie against the Republic of Ireland.
Jadon Sancho’s double and Callum Hudson-Odoi’s late strike in Zapresic ensured the Young Lions finished top of Group D ahead of opponents Netherlands to secure a date with the Irish in the last eight on Saturday.
After two wins from their opening two games, coach Steve Cooper named the same starting line-up for the third successive match, but apart from Rhian Brewster almost benefiting from a Jasper Schendelaar slip in the Dutch goal early on, it was a tepid start from England.
However, they soon got into their stride and crafted an opening goal in the 23rd minute. Phil Foden set Hudson-Odoi free down the right and he played a neat pass across the face of goal for Sancho to tap in from two yards out.
The Netherlands’ hopes of pipping their opponents to top spot were severely dented shortly after the interval as they were reduced to ten men moments before Sancho doubled his and England’s tally.
Tashan Oakley-Boothe’s searching ball picked out the run of George McEachran only for the Chelsea man to be bundled down just inside the box by Tijn Daverveld. With Daverveld sent for an early bath, Sancho stepped up to power the penalty beyond the reach of Schendelaar in the 48th minute.
And Hudson-Odoi got in on the act with a deserved goal in the final minute of normal time when he was on the receiving end of substitute Emile Smith-Rowe’s clever pass from the right to smash in a low drive from six yards.
Steve Cooper’s side’s record of three wins from three in the group stages was only matched by Germany.
England: 1 Josef Bursik (AFC Wimbledon), 2 Timothy Eyoma (Tottenham Hotspur), 3 Lewis Gibson (Newcastle United), 4 George McEachran (Chelsea), 5 Marc Guehi (Chelsea) (c), 6 Jonathan Panzo (Chelsea), 7 Phil Foden (Manchester City), 8 Tashan Oakley-Boothe (Tottenham Hotspur), 9 Rhian Brewster (Liverpool), 10 Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea), 11 Jadon Sancho (Manchester City).
Substitutes: 16 Daniel Loader (Reading) for Brewster 56, 18 Emile Smith-Rowe (Arsenal) for Sancho 62, 17 Aidan Barlow (Manchester United) for Foden 67.
Substitutes not used: 12 Reo Griffiths (Tottenham Hotspur), 13 Curtis Anderson (Manchester City), 14 Jake Vokins (Southampton), 15 Alex Denny (Everton).
Goals: Sancho 23 and 48 pen, Hudson-Odoi 80.
Head coach: Steve Cooper
