Slovakia strike late to down Germany

An 87th-minute strike from Matúš Mikuš gave Slovakia a 2-1 win against Germany in UEFA European Under-19 Championship Elite round Group 6.

Slovakia had fallen behind to an early Christoph Sauter effort as Germany looked well set to build on their 4-1 victory over Poland on the first matchday. However, Patrik Banović responded in first-half added time and Mikuš then struck to complete a come-from-behind win and lift Slovakia above their rivals with four points from two games.

In what proved to be an open contest in Echt, Germany got off to the perfect start when Sauter struck in the eighth minute after the Slovakia defence failed to clear Sören Bertram's corner. Both sides were playing attacking football and it was Slovakia who delivered the next blow, Banović scoring from the edge of the box following a swift counterattack.

Cenk Tosun – scorer of a hat-trick against Poland – struck the post for Germany after the break, quickly followed by a Mikuš effort which hit the bar. With three minutes remaining, Mikuš did find the net, picking up substitute Jozef Dolny's pass and firing into the top corner, leaving victorious coach Pavol Peracek delighted with the outcome. "I am very happy and proud because Germany is a much bigger country than Slovakia," he told UEFA.com. "It was a great game for the spectators as both teams attacked at a high tempo."