On Thursday, the Netherlands won their first Under-19 European Championship title when they beat reigning champions Spain 1-0 in Bucharest.

Both managers fielded unchanged sides, with nine-time and reigning champions Spain and first-time finalists the Netherlands looking to end their Under-19 European Championship campaigns in style.

Spain reached the final after a spectacular 6-5 semi-final victory against Germany, following a perfect group stage in which they scored nine goals and conceded just one. Meanwhile, the Netherlands followed a very similar path after their flawless group stage and 3-1 semi-final win over hosts Romania.

The two tournament heavyweights got off to an active start in the final when Givairo Read caused the first danger of the match in the fourth minute, but failed to find the net. Opportunities for strikers Omar Janneh and Don-Angelo Konadu followed in the opening 30 minutes, during which time the Netherlands showed the most promise, though they failed to score.

Spain's Jon Martin and Izan Merino briefly had the Dutch bench on their feet, but also failed to score in the hot Bucharest conditions. A powerful long-range shot from Feyenoord's Aymen Sliti was the last feat of an energetic but goalless first half.

After tournament standout Kees Smit saw his free kick fly narrowly past Raúl Jiménez's goal and Ayoub Oufkir wasted a golden opportunity in a one-on-one, Netherlands captain Givairo Read opened the scoring in the 63rd minute when a low cross was deflected by Jiménez into his own goal.

The young Dutch team stayed in control but needed Sparta Prague goalkeeper and Ajax target Joeri Heerkens to make an excellent save from Alejandro Monserrate's header.

A hectic finale almost ended in disaster for the Netherlands when Kees Smit appeared to commit a foul in his own box. However, no penalty was awarded, much to the anger and disappointment of the young Spaniards.

The Netherlands held onto their lead to win the first Under-19 European Championship in their nation's history. They dethroned Spain and won their first title after failing to qualify for the last five tournaments.