Kownacki and Poland overturn Portugal to reach U21 Euro finals

Poland have qualified for the 2019 European U21 Championship finals after beating Portugal 3-2 on aggregate in the play-offs.

The Poles travelled to Portugal trailing 1-0 from the first leg in their homeland but flipped the tie on its head within eight minutes of kick-off at the Estadio Municipal in Chaves. Our very own Dawid Kownacki scored the second just three minutes after Krystian Bielik’s 5th-minute opener. Sebastian Szymanski made it 3-0 midway through the first half before Jota pulled one back in the second period.

The Samp striker played 94 minutes of the encounter before making way for Karol Swiderski.

The tournament will be held in Italy and San Marino from 16 to 30 June 2019.

Meanwhile Joachim Andersen’s Denmark U21s, who had already qualified for next summer’s finals after topping their group, suffered another heavy friendly defeat. After losing 4-1 to Spain the other day, they were roundly beaten 5-1 by England at Blue Water Arena in Esbjerg.

Demarai Gray and Dominic Solanke scored for the visitors before Marcus Ingvartsen reduced the arrears prior to the interval. However, a second for Solanke after the restart and a late brace by Dominic Calvert-Lewin (2) saw the Three Lions run out as comfortable winners.

Andersen replaced Skov Olsen at the start of the second half.