The German U21 national team won the first game with the new vintage. The selection of national coach Antonio di Salvo won 2-0 (0-0) at the first appearance of a U21 since the lost European Championship final against England in Albania.
Ilyas viewed from the 1st FC Union Berlin (49th minute) and the Wolfsburg Dzenan Pejcinovic (52nd) caused the German goals shortly after the change of sides.
Hesitant start of the DFB team
The five after the European Championship in the summer in the team remained in the team in the team (FSV Mainz), Brajan Gruda (Brighton & Hove Albion), Lukas Ullrich (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Nicolo Tresoldi (FC Bruges) and Elias Baum (Eintracht Frankfurt) were all in the starting eleven.
The rest of the players had never played together before and at the beginning you also noticed that. After only three training sessions, German eleven had to find each other.
Albania plays uncomfortable
After seven minutes, the first completion belonged to Albania. Left-footed Burak Alili pulled off from a good 18 meters, but shot one to two meters above the DFB goal. Just two minutes later the next campaign of the home side: Aidon Shehu prevailed on the right side of the sixteen. The low shot was not a problem for keeper Dennis Seimen (SC Paderborn).
Albania played bravely at the front and consistently defended at the back. The German team was still difficult, also seemed to struggle with the lawns in the Elbasan Arena.
DFB team triple dangerous
It was only after half an hour that the newly formed German team got better. Weiper and Tresoldi in particular determined the German game at this time. In the first really dangerous action by the Germans, Gruda flanked the ball from the right side, Weiper came to the header relatively freely, but did not hit the ball properly and set the ball a few meters to the right of the goal.
Just a minute later, again Weiper: After a sprint, he developed an actually good position, but the attempt to cross the ball from a pointed angle from the right to Tresoldi failed, Albania’s goalkeeper Aaron Jukaj was long and prevented the pass. Despite the same final phase, it went 0-0 into the half -time break.
Ten change in the half -time break
Even before the game, coach Di Salvo announced that she wanted to change generously. Only midfield strategist Umut Tohumcu (TSG Hoffenheim) stayed on the field when the reinforced whistle. Six U21 national team debutants now had the chance to show themselves: Aaron Tent (VfL Wolfsburg), Ilyas viewed (Union Berlin), Dzenan Pejcinovic (VfL Wolfsburg), Muhammed Damar (TSG Hoffenheim), Noel Aseko (Hannover 96) and Mio Backhaus (Werder Bremen).
Two debutants meet the leadership
And showing up that Inyas looked at after only 2 minutes and ten seconds. Union striker, who twice at the Bundesliga start against Stuttgart, put Germany in the lead. Damar won a duel on the penalty area, put the ball through on the view, which pulled off in front of the gate of about 17 meters and slam the ball on the left in Eck.
And the second debutant in the storm also entered the scorer list. Four minutes after the 1-0 lead, Pecinovic, who was in the starting eleven in all three previous Wolfsburg competitive games this season, met 2-0 after the perfect template from Team colleague.
Even if it seemed as if the German team was in the leadership in the meantime and Albania got into turning up again, the team did not give up the game. A goal shot from Alili in the 61st minute remained the only campaign in the second half that gave Germany into trouble. Almost a third goal would have been in it: Pejcinovic pulled away from twenty meters. A powerful shot that only ends up on the crossbar.
On Tuesday it continues
After the old year around the European Championship goalkeeper King Nick Woltemade won 20 games in a row until the final against England, the successors also started promising. Above all, the final phase of the first half and the start of the second half give courage with regard to the upcoming European Championship qualification. On Tuesday (8.30 p.m.) it will be really serious for the first time in Rostock against Latvia.
The U21 European Championship will take place in the summer of 2027 in Albania and Serbia. In its qualification group, the German team meets as a favorite alongside Latvia on Georgia, Greece, Northern Ireland and Malta.