The German U21 national team confidently won the EM qualification. Led by the outstanding Sturm duo Nelson Weiper and Nicoló Tresoldi, the newly formed selection of coach Antonio di Salvo in front of 9019 spectators in the Rostock Ostseestadion celebrated a loose 5: 0 (2-0) against outsider Latvia.
A little more than two months after the bitter final defeat against England (2: 3 NV), two who had caused a sensation in the last year and at the European Championship in Slovakia. Weiper from FSV Mainz 05 marked the lead (19th) and put on two more goals from Tresoldi (Club Bruges), who even scored a hat trick (44./50./57.). Muhammed Damar got the final score (59th), the DFB selection thus underpinned its clear favorite position in the qualifying group f on the long way to the final round 2027 in Serbia and Albania.
Four days after the successful dress rehearsal in Albania (2-0), in addition to Weiper and Tresoldi, Lukas Ullrich (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Elias Baum (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Brajan Gruda (Brighton & Hove Albion) and thus all five vice -European champions in the starting eleven. “You definitely have this small lead,” Di Salvo had emphasized in advance, “and yet you have to prove yourself again.”
Mio Backhaus from Werder Bremen started in the goal, the captain’s armband surprisingly took over central defender Finn Jeltsch (VfB Stuttgart), second young player in the squad. “He brings a lot to lead a team,” said Di Salvo at Ran. The 46-year-old himself was particularly looking forward to his return to the old place of work, from 2001 to 2006 he enjoyed “the most formative time” of his professional career at the Hansa.
Unlike Friday, his team had no start -up difficulties in Elbasan. Tresoldi failed after 76 seconds to Nikita Parfjonovs, the Latvian keeper had no chance against Weiper’s low shot. The DFB selection was enthusiastic about play and never let the guests come into play. Another strong combination of the very active Gruda and Weiper completed Tresoldi, who crowned his cream day with a double strike after half -time. Spielmacher Damar scored his first U21 goal with a beautiful Schlenzer.
“We implement a lot of things very well what we imagined,” said assistant coach Shkodran Mustafi at half-time, at the latest after 3-0 the knot had finally burst. Mustafi had succeeded Hermann Gerland after the European Championship, the 2014 world champion was on the sidelines in regular exchange with di Salvo.
The European Championship qualification for the final round in the summer of 2027, where the Olympic tickets for Los Angeles 2028 are also awarded, will take place until the beginning of October 2026. The clear goal is the group victory, in the next international game period in October this year the DFB youngsters meet Greece and Northern Ireland. The other opponents are Georgia and Malta.