Joker Röhl decides from a distance
© Imago
Thanks to a Jokertor from Merlin Röhl, the German U21 is in the European Championship semi-final after a dramatic knockout duel. The DFB selection around Torgient Nick Woltemade prevailed in the quarter-finals with Italy in extra time with two men more on the pitch with 3: 2, 0: 0). Tor-hero for the German team, which was clearly superior in the extension, was the Freiburger Röhl, which was substituted after an hour.
Previously, Woltemade had shone again at the tournament in Slovakia. After a corner kick, the Stuttgart cup winner headed to the acclaimed German compensation (68th minute) and also prepared the 2-1 by the Mainz Joker Nelson Weiper (87.). “I’m just happy that we are now in the semi -finals. I’m mouse -dead and just overjoyed,” said Captain Eric Martel at “Sat.1”. You can shake everything off and still put it on.
Anyone who thought that after the deficit by the former Vincent Company player Luca Koleosho from FC Burnley (58th) was already the German victory, was deceived in the mad aftermath. Despite two men less on the pitch after the yellow-red tickets for Wilfried Gnonto (81st) and Mattia Zanotti (90th), Italy saved himself into extra time. Giuseppe Ambrosino, who had just been substituted, scored with a free kick (90.+6) to 2: 2 (0: 0).
Opponents in the semi-finals on Wednesday in Kosice are the French who rang 3-2 with 3: 2 due to the winning goal of the former Bayern striker Mathys Tel in the 85th minute. The German team, which has been unbeaten for almost two years and now 19, can continue to dream of winning the fourth title after 2009, 2017 and 2021 in the final on June 28th in Bratislava.
Woltemade once again took a key role in the exciting duel with the Azzurrini. The four -time goal scorer and two -time players in the game in the group phase was always tightly pressed, sometimes hard stopped. Not much was missing in the initial phase to extend the new national player’s series. After the break, he could no longer be stopped in a header after a corner with its 1.98 meters. He also shone as a preparer – and was the captain in the final phase.
The German national coach Antonio di Salvo experienced a particularly intensive evening in front of 6,503 spectators in Dunajska Streda. The 46-year-old, whose parents came to Germany in the 1970s, worked in the highest intensity on the edge of the field. Di Salvo gave many instructions and commands. Shake, balance, dramatic final phase – it was an evening of the extreme feelings. The native Italian Nicolò Tresoldi could not shape the game against his home country – but in the end it was very happy.
Di Salvo again trusted the initial formation of the group victories against Slovenia (3-0) and the Czech Republic (4: 2). Some of the starting eleven players from 2-1 against England only gradually came from the bank in the knockout and duel-scored goals like Weiper and Röhl. Sports director Rudi Völler and Managing Director Andreas Rettig from the DFB side and the new Italian national coach Gennaro Gattuso, alongside his team coordinator Gianluigi Buffon, followed a highly exciting quarterfinals from the unused grandstand.
This could have tipped on both sides. Both goalkeepers came into focus. Noah Atubolu from SC Freiburg and his counterpart Sebastiano Desplanche from Palermo FC showed their skills in the regular season. In the extra time, the Italian was then checked more often.