Yesil ensures Germany do not pay Czech penalty

Samed Yesil struck an added-time equaliser against the Czech Republic to keep Germany in the hunt for a place in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship semi-finals.

Czech goalkeeper Lukáš Zima looked to have stolen the show by saving two second-half penalties, one of which was from Yesil. However, with seconds remaining, Germany's top scorer in qualifying cancelled out Lukáš Juliš's early opener. Czech captain Jan Štěrba was sent off for felling Levent Aycicek in conceding the second spot kick and will miss his team's game against Group B winners the Netherlands on Monday, when a victory will take his side through.

The Czech Republic followed up their late equaliser against Romania by stunning Germany inside 12 minutes. Petr Nerad, having dispossessed Mitchell Weiser, dissected the German defence with a perfectly-weighted through ball. Juliš, with the goalkeeper to beat, made no mistake via the base of the far post.

Thereafter it was the Zima show. The Czech keeper was called upon no less than four times before the break, his most impressive act being to stick out his right hand and push Okan Aydin's shot wide. He followed that up by denying Yesil − back in the team after suspension for the 2-0 loss to the Netherlands − what would have been the fitting end to a mazy dribble.

Seeking a riposte after the break, Steffen Freund's team were frustrated first by a post and then by Zima – again. Moments after Emre Can had rattled the upright, the same player had his penalty, awarded for Luboš Adamec's foul on the lively Fabian Schnellhardt, saved low down.

Zima then stood tall again to deny Can, with Yesil heading the rebound wide. Zima's oppposite number, Odisseas Vlachodimos, was a virtual spectator by contrast as Germany continued to press for the equaliser. When Schnellhardt saw his fierce drive pushed away, though, it seemed it was not going to be Germany's day until Yesil made amends for his spot-kick disappointment. Germany need to beat Romania and hope the Czech Republic do not win to ensure progress.