Floodlight failure before halftime
© Imago
The German U21 national team continued their triumphal march despite a complete rotation and goes to the EM quarter-finals against Italy as a group winner. Without the previous tournament star Nick Woltemade, the DFB selection won the group finale against defending champion England 2-1 (2-0). The Frankfurt Ansgar Knauff (3rd minute) and the Mainz Nelson Weiper (33rd) provided bright faces at Woltemade & Co. Alex Scott’s goal only briefly clouded the joy (76.).
There had been the last defeat of the German U21 to date against the English two years ago at the 2023 European Championship through a 0: 2. Now the third German victory was succeeded in the 13th European Championship duel in front of 5,624 spectators in Nitra.
Coach Antonio Di Salvo changed all eleven starting players after his team’s fixed quarter -finals. “Originally I had in my head to leave an axis on the square. But after consulting the players who thought they had a game every three days, it was a board.
Best self-promotion of the U21 reservists
But because of B-Elf! The reservists of the victories against Slovenia (3-0) and the Czech Republic (4: 2) were positioned for a place in the initial formation on Sunday in Dunajska Streda in the knockout duel with the Italians who, like Spain, are a record European champion. Neither the changes nor the short-term failure of a floodlight towards the end of the first half brought the DFB selection on the way to the perfect group phase with three wins in three games.
Germany took a dream start against the English, who would have threatened the end of Slovenia in a correspondingly high victory of Slovenia. After a good pressing, the ball came to Lukas Ullrich. The Gladbach left -back showed a lot of overview, his cross found Knauff. In the 27th U21 international game, the Frankfurt Champions League player converted to the fourth goal. Di Salvo screamed his joy out loudly – and was also allowed to be satisfied with his team afterwards.
England has long been stopped by the German team, which was very awake against Slovenia and the Czech Republic and a duel. A shot by Jonathan Rowe to the outdoor network of the gate kept seriously from Tjark instead of the sick Noah atubolu was the greatest opportunity before the break (21st). Germany was more mature. A flank from Knauff nodded Weiper to 2-0.
England reacted with three changes at halftime. The defending champion around Arsenal striker Ethan Nwaneri, the market value of which is 55 million euros, started more vigorously and speeder in half one. The English put a lot of pressure and became dangerous late. A catch-up, as the English U19 had made 5: 5 after a 1: 5 deficit against Germany the day before, was no longer successful.
The English now meet Spain in the quarterfinals, which, like Italy, won the title in this age group five times. “We definitely performed well. No team likes to play against us,” Di Salvo had already said before the England duel. After the reservists’ victory against the strongest group opponent, this applies even more.