England U21 vs Germany U21 Prediction: Booking for Anderson in Bratislava final

Reigning Uefa U21 European Championship holders England have made it to back-to-back finals, beating the Netherlands 2-1 on Wednesday to set up a Saturday evening (20:00 BST, Channel 4) showdown with Germany, who edged out the Young Lions 2-1 in the group stage and eased past France 3-0 in their semi-final.

Below are my England U21 vs Germany U21 predictions, supported by all the latest team news and match odds, ahead of this U21 European Championship Final at Stadion Tehelne pole in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Team News

Elliot Anderson and Harvey Elliott have arguably been England U21's best performers at this tournament; the former has impressed with his all-action displays in the middle of the park, and the latter has netted four times, including a match-winning brace in the semis.

Both players are certain to start on Saturday in what could be an unchanged starting XI.

Football Odds

However, Tyler Morton, who started his side's 3-1 quarter-final victory over Spain, is back from suspension and an option should head coach Lee Carsley opt for some fresh legs in midfield.

Germany U21's star man is undoubtedly Nick Woltemade, who looks destined to pick up the Golden Boot after scoring six goals in four games. The 23-year-old was rested for his country's final group game against England on June 18, but will be the first name on Antonio Di Salvo's team sheet on Saturday.

The German boss will have to make at least one alteration to his semi-final, though, as Max Rosenfelder was forced off in the 11th minute of their semi-final success against France U21's with a muscle injury, and has since been ruled out for 'several weeks'.

Tim Oermann replaced the 22-year-old defender against the Bleuets, and he looks likely to be given the nod from the off in Bratislava.

Brighton & Hove Albion forward Brajan Gruda was benched for Germany U21's final-four victory, but came off the bench to score their third and final goal, staking his claim for a recall to the starting XI.

England U21 vs Germany U21 Odds

There's nothing to split these two teams in the betting, with England U21's and Germany U21's both priced at 8/5, or 38.5% chance, to triumph in regulation time on Saturday, and 5/6 to win the tie by any means.

The draw, which would send the tie to extra time, is available at 5/2, both teams to score (90 mins) at 1/2, and over 2.5 total goals (90 mins) at 8/13.

Betfred are offering six price boosts on this final, which you can check out by clicking on the 'England U21 vs Germany U21 Odds' link above.

Price Boosts - Nick Woltemade (GER) to Score at Anytime @ 5/4 6/4

How can I look past the tournament's top scorer in a price boost?

The Stuttgart striker enjoyed a terrific season at club level, scoring 17 goals in 33 appearances, 12 of which came in 28 Bundesliga outings, despite just 17 of those games coming as a starter.

Woltemade has taken his form into the international scene, finding the net in all four U21 European Championship matches he has played.

Today's Football Fixtures

He hit a hat-trick in Germany U21's opening game, a 3-0 victory over Slovenia U21's, before scoring their third in a 4-2 win against the Czech Republic.

After being rested against England U21's, he returned to the side for the knockouts, breaching the back line of both Italy U21's and France U21's to put him two goals clear of Elliott in the race for the Golden Boot.

It would take something extraordinary for the Liverpool man to catch him up now, and I expect Woltemade to make it five straight appearances with a strike on Saturday.

Carsley's charges have only kept one clean sheet in five matches, and Woltemade should be able to find a way past James Beadle between the sticks.

Player to Receive a Card - Elliot Anderson (ENG) @ 7/2

Nottingham Forest midfielder Anderson picked up 10 yellow cards in 37 Premier League appearances this season, and one in four FA Cup outings.

The 22-year-old averaged 1.3 fouls per game (1.6 per 90 minutes) in the English top flight, and he's averaging 1.2 fouls per game at the U21 European Championship.

He's already been booked twice at the tournament, receiving a yellow inside the first minute of England U21's opening match against their Czech Republic counterparts and on the stroke of half-time in their semi-final victory over the Dutch.

Anderson is a tenacious player who is always involved in plenty of duels in the middle of the park, winning plenty of fouls himself, too.

I'm expecting a few fireworks in Saturday's final, and the Newcastle United Academy graduate is sure to be front and centre of all the action.

He wasn't cautioned in the last meeting between these sides just 10 days ago, but he was whistled twice for upending an opponent before his withdrawal in the 63rd minute.

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