That is where we will leave it for this evening. A good tournament gets a fitting ending. Keep an eye out for the match report here on VAVEL in a few minutes time. Thank you for following, good night.
And there it is - Arnold lifts the trophy, with Meyer getting seconds dibs. It's a wet night in Kraków but that won't dampen their celebrations too much.
A lot of Spanish players inevitably taking off their silver medals straightaway. Saúl especially must be sick of the sight of that colour. Germany now collecting their medals ahead of lifting the trophy.
The presentation is underway. Ceballos has the small consolation of the Player of the Tournament award, with the full Spanish squad coming to collect their silver medals once the referees are recognised. A guard of honour has been formed by the Germany players.
These players may not go on to reach the heights of that 2009 vintage - of which six were part of the 2014 World Cup winning squad - but there are clearly no signs of the talent pool drying up quite yet. If one conveniently ignores their under-20s losing to Zambia in the U20 World Cup, anyway.
Just one day after the eighth anniversary of their first victory in this tournament, Germany win a second under-21 championship. Considering they were missing several players to the Confederation Cups, not a bad effort.
A cracking final and Germany overcome the favourites Spain with a typically Germany performance - not always on top but they soaked up the pressure and proved dangerous on the attack. Spain just didn't have enough to give in the end.
FULL TIME. GERMANY 1-0 SPAIN. GERMANY ARE EUROPEAN U21 CHAMPIONS!
90+2: A couple of Spanish balls into the box, but both taken by Pollersbeck. Germany will take that.
90+1: We're into stoppage time - Spain have four minutes to save themselves.
89: Gayà finds Saúl on the edge of the box, but he can't work his magic this time. Jesús Vallejo then booked for a diving tackle of Weiser.
87: They run the clock down further with another substitution. Levin Öztunali replaces Philipp, who's not really had the service to impress this evening.
86: Germany already starting to play it into the corner.
83: And another German change. Haberer is replaced by Dominik Kohr. Llorente goes off for Spain too, Borja Mayoral is on.
81: Gnabry's race is run it seems. He makes way for Nadiem Amiri.
79: Free kick for Spain in a dangerous position. Asensio takes - hits the wall.
78: Williams has a cross put out for a corner, but Germany were not happy as he appeared to push Gerhardt in the build-up. After the corner is taken, Meyer is booked, surely for dissent.
76: Bellerín, surely the fastest man on the pitch, races forward like Usain Bolt, goes for the one-two with Williams but can't do anything with the second ball. Deulofeu then has a shot deflect wide. Spain still dangerous.
72: Spain are obviously not out of this, and Ceballos almost brings them level on his own - a superb strike from outside the box, but agonisingly wide.
71: A few quieter minutes follow but Germany close when Gerhardt finds Gnabry - but it's poor shot and wide. Spain make a second change meanwhile, with Ramírez replaced by Iñaki Williams.
66: Gnabry involved again! Both him and Meyer have the ball in the box but can't work a shot in, Weiser then goes down in the box but no penalty. The ball is eventually put wide.
65: A superb through pass from Gnabry cuts through the defence and should find Meyer, but he lets to go to the keeper, most likely aware that he was in an offside position. Germans back in control now though.
63: Another attempt for Gnabry after his one-on-one with Arrizabalaga. The Spanish keeper isn't close to being troubled by this one - well over.
62: Germany win a corner just after that, and Kempf heads it wide. Or at least that's what the officials think - the Spanish player going with him actual had the last touch, but a goal kick given nonetheless.
61: Germany attack again, with Arrizabalaga denying Gnabry with a vital save.
60: After relentless pressure at the other end Germany are suddenly able to break. Saúl it looked like with a vital block on Meyer's eventual shot. Arnold ends up going well off target to finish that particular passage of play.
58: Saúl close to equalising! Chests down a long ball and takes aim, with Pollersback pushing it wide.
56: Spain really starting to push for an equaliser. Asensio wins a corner after Germany survive plenty of pressure. It's played long but little comes of it.
54: Weiser gives away a foul in the Spanish half. He doesn't get booked but Llorente thinks otherwise. Bastien doesn't take kindly to his suggestions, and his yellow is out again for the Spanish midfielder.
54: Sandro Ramírez with a cross into the box. No red shirts to get on the end of it but Stark puts out for a corner. Played short again, with the inevitably disappointing results.
52: ANOTHER German played booked, as Stark clatters into Dani Ceballos.
51: Spain don't wait long to make their first change in the second half. José Gayà replaces Jonny at left-back.
50: And now Haberer goes into the book - looked like he got the ball though.
48: Tussle between Gerhardt and Deulofeu as the latter tries to get into the German box. Gerhardt wins that battle, holds back the Spanish captain well.
47: Germany's skipper Arnold their first player into the box, a trailing leg brings down a Spanish player.
46: The second half is underway. Can Spain get back into the game?
Spain got off to an electric start, although apart from Bellerín's header it's hard to think of many Spanish chances in the first half. Germany grew into the game and by the time they scored it was probably deserved.
HALF TIME. GERMANY 1-0 SPAIN.
44: Deulofeu looks to makes progress on the right but ends up running the ball out of play. A lot of Spanish attacks have petered out in the latter stages of this first half.
43: Saúl earns himself the first booking of the evening for a tug on Arnold's shirt after losing the ball.
40: Toljan has been excellent for Germany in this tournament, and he puts in the cross. Weiser gets the deftest of heads on it, leaving Arrizabalaga well beaten. Germany have the lead, probably just about deserved.
40: GOAL GERMANY. Weiser scores from almost nowhere! 1-0.
38: Mistake from Bellerín gives Germany a chance. Gnabry can't make the most of it as he slips over in the box. Janik Haberer is able to have a shot just after, but only succeeds in hitting the ball out of the stadium!
35: Spain not looking to test Germany's vulnerability at set pieces. Another short corner from Deulofeu, leading eventually to a rather tame header over from Jorge Meré.
33: Another giveaway from a German defender presents a chance to Saúl - Stark is in position to block it though.
31: Deulofeu, set to rejoin FC Barcelona, takes that corner, which Saúl heads over.
30: Jeremy Toljan gives the ball away to Deulofeu, he charges forward but gets crowded out on the edge of the box. Soon after though, Bellerín forces Weiser into giving away a corner.
24: Promising move for Spain, however Asensio's cross is picked-up by Kempf, who plays it out for the box.
21: Both players are involved once the free-kick is launched into the box. The Spaniard blocks an initial shot from Gnabry, with his second crack saved by Arrizabalaga.
20: Marcos Llorente gets into trouble for a push on Gnabry. For a moment it looks like referee Benoît Bastien might giving him a yellow card, but he escapes with a warning.
18: Gerard Deulofeu comes forward on the left for Spain, Marc-Oliver Kempf gets to his cross before a red shirt can though. The resulting corner comes to little.
16: Germany close again! Gnabry hits the side netting, another good chance.
15: Gnabry wins Germany a free kick. Meyer takes but Spain are able to clear.
13: Arsenal's Héctor Bellerín close to opening the scoring for Spain, heading wide with goalkeeper Julian Pollersbeck not close to keeping it out.
9: Another chance for Germany, this time Maximilian Arnold fires one wide.
7: The corner comes to little but Germany come mightily close soon after. Meyer gets his head on an excellent long ball, rattling the post with his shot. Lucky escape for Spain, who had dominated the opening minutes.
6: First will move forward from Germany. Weiser with the cross in from the left which is tipped over for a corner by Kepa Arrizabalaga.
3: Spain well to hassle Germany in the own half and Marco Asensio wins an early corner. Germany did not defend these well against England, but Spain play it short and Germany are able to deal with it.
0: Ok then, all the formalities have been observed and we're underway in Kraków.
Five minutes to go until kick off, and the players are waiting in the tunnel. Spain are the favourites, but Germany are Germany, so who knows how tonight will go.
Germany have made two changes, with Selke missing out as expected. Mitchell Weiser replaces him in the team, with Maximilian Philipp expected to move up front. Niklas Stark returns after his late withdrawal against England, with Gideon Jung making way. Spain are unchanged.
Spain: (4-3-3) Arrizabalaga; Bellerín, Meré, Vallejo, Jonny; Ceballos, Llorente, Ñíguez; Deulofeu, Ramírez, Asensio.
Germany: (4-1-4-1) Pollersbeck; Toljan, Stark, Kempf, Gerhardt; Haberer; Weiser, Meyer, Arnold, Gnabry; Philipp.
18:56 The team news is now in and is as follows.
Germany have a number of their best U21 players competing at the Confederations Cup this summer, but still boast a squad containing the likes of Max Meyer and Serge Gnabry, both of whom are expected to start. One man who could miss out is David Selke, who is carrying a knock picked up against England. Spain have no injury concerns.
With the likes of Saul and Asensio pushing hard for a place in Spain's 2018 World Cup squad, there is a feeling that this game is the end of an era for this young group of players. Saul reflected on that, saying "We have to realise it's the last time we're going to put on that Spain shirt, at least at under-age level. We know the senior team is a different world, and we know it's our last time together. That's how we feel about it and why we're enjoying it, because it'd be very strange if you didn't enjoy putting on the Spain shirt. I think the team are expressing that on the pitch."
Spain are in the privileged position of having two players score hat-tricks for them so far at the tournament, both being midfield players! The aforementioned strikes by Saul against Italy wasn't Spain's first hat-trick of the finals after Marco Asensio bagged one against Macedonia.
Germany came into the semi-final as the best 2nd placed team, but were always confident after beating Czech Republic and Denmark in their first two games without conceding a goal. They lost 1-0 to Italy in the final group game, pairing them up against old rivals England at the last four stage. It was an exciting affair that ended 2-2 after extra time, Germany sneaking through via a 4-3 penalty shoot-out win.
Three wins from three for Spain saw them cruise through, starting with a 5-0 win over Macedonia and not looking back. They saw off neighbours Portugal in the second group game, winning 3-1 before edging out Serbia 1-0 in their final group game. Italy were supposed to provide a tougher test at the semi-final stage but it all proved to be too easy for the Spanish youngsters, who ran out 3-1 winners thanks to a hat-trick from Saul Niguez.
These two teams were hot favourites to meet each other in the final ever since the draw was conducted, both coming through their respective groups with relative ease.
Good evening to one and all, welcome to VAVEL UK's live minute-by-minute coverage of the final of this year's European U21 Championships, to be contested between two huge footballing nations - Germany and Spain. The two week competition finally comes to a conclusion this evening in Krakow, Poland, with kick-off set for 19:45 BST. I'm Oliver Emmerson and I'll be taking you through what should be an intriguing affair, with plenty of action on the cards!