2015 UEFA under-19 European Championship: Russia - Germany - Must win game for reigning champions

In what should be an enthralling final day of Group B action, Germany face Russia with a place in the semi-finals of the UEFA under-19 European Championship on the line. Neither side got off to the ideal start, but both recovered well in their last match.

Tournament so far

Russia will feel hard done by to have had players suspended and not have six points from six, after two very impressive performances in their opening matches. They picked themselves up from defeat to the Dutch, before a confident display beat Spain by a comfortable three-one margin.

Germany were blown away in their first game by Spain, losing 3-0 and showing very few credentials of their title-winning team from last summer. However, Gianluca Rizzo's last minute winner turned things around to keep them in the competition - beating the Netherlands 1-0.

Key players

Dmitri Barinov is the reliable figure at the base of the Russian midfield and is also captain of the side. His goal against Spain helped spur them onto a famous victory, and he'll hope to emulate that performance in their third group game.

Ramil Sheydaev will be keen to show off his skills, too. He scored ten goals in just six qualifying games, and also netted in the Spanish win. Sheyadaev and his team-mates could exploit what has been a very shaky German defence, to great effect.

It's been a real struggle for Germany so far, though Max Christiansen is looking every bit a future star in central midfield. His ability to drive the team forward, while being defensively sound at the same time, added the necessary balance to the team.

After that, the goal-scoring hopes are pinned on likely starters Timo Werner and Gian-Luca Waldschmidt. Both came alive in the game against the Netherlands and were continually denied by the Dutch stopper. Despite Rizzo's goal, it looks like the pair will lead their quest for a semi-final berth.

What they're saying

Dmitri Khomukha was in a buoyant mood after Russia's first win of the tournament: "Defeating Spain was very emotional for the players and a huge boost for their self-confidence." He admitted that their "plans haven't changed", saying that they "must defeat Germany" and "will do everything to achieve it".

Marcus Sorg, despite falling to that opening game defeat, wasn't surprise by how things had panned out: "I said when the draw was made that this group was wide open. All of the teams are at the same level and it just comes down to your form on the day, and now and again it's down to luck."

Sorg has hopes that "after the defeat by Spain, the win against the Netherlands will have taken a bit of pressure off the lads". The former Freiburg coach has the belief that "they can play more freely now".

He's also very excited with the prospect that has been thrown up - a four team shoot-out for the semi-finals: "The beautiful thing is that all four teams now know that a win will take them through – it's a great position to be in."

Referee

Andreas Ekberg, a 30-year-old policeman from Sweden, will be the man in the middle for the crunch clash. The Swede is a regular in the top two tiers of Swedish football, and looks to be one of the better referees coming through the ranks.

He earned a place as a FIFA official back in 2013, and since then Ekberg has refereed 18 continental games - the highlight has been taking charge of the 2014 UEFA under-17 European Championship.

Team news

Aleksandr Likhachev has returned from his ban and is available for the Russians once more, though Dzhamaldin Khodzhaniyazov will miss the game through suspension. Dmitri Barinov and Aleksandr Golovin are one booking away from missing the semi-final, should Russia qualify.

Germany have no suspension or injury worries to contend with, which is music to the ears of Sorg. However, Marius Funk, Jonathan Tah, Jonas Föhrenbach and Gian-Luca Waldschmidt will miss their next game should they be shown a yellow card.