The German U21 national team got a good feeling for the European Championship finals with a win with the tournament host.
At the start of the European Championship year, the selection of the German Football Association at Slovakia won 1-0 (1-0). A much harder opponent is waiting for the U21 national coach Antonio di Salvo in the home game in Darmstadt on Tuesday. There – and at the European Championship in summer – an increase is needed.
Almost three months before the European Championship finals, Brajan Gruda from Brighton & Hove Albion brought the German team in the Anton Malatinsky Stadium in Trnava (34th minute). After the change of sides, there was no more goal in front of 1,721 spectators in a competitive game, Germany is now 14 games in series without defeat. “I give myself a lot of confidence with the goal,” said Gruda at “ProSieben Maxx”.
DFB-Vice: Better the “breakdown” now
The penultimate official international match of the German team gave at least important information about the top candidates for the European Championship Erste 82 days before the European Championship opening game. Di Salvo, who recently extended his contract beyond the tournament until 2027, waived candidates for the club World Cup. Around ten young professionals from FC Bayern Munich, from Borussia Dortmund and Red Bull Salzburg could go on a trip to the USA with their clubs-or at the U21.
After the unbeaten international year 2024, the German eleven was noted that it had not played together for four months. DFB Vice President Ronny Zimmermann saw “a lot we could do better” at the break. But it is better that “the breakdowns” would happen before the tournament than at the tournament, said Zimmermann at ProSieben Maxx. “You usually learn more from such games.”
Atubolu consolidates status as number 1
The DFB team did not allow real chances of the Slovaks around the Kiel Dominik Javorcek in front of the Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu until the final phase. Atubolu does not only have the best chances after the injury-related departure of the Munich Manuel-Neuer replacement man Jonas Urbig to go to the European Championship finals from June 11th to 28th. There, Germany meets Slovenia, the Czech Republic and England in the group phase.
A lot went aggressively at the flying visit to the European Championship country over the right wing of Gruda – although the tour was initiated via links. The Gladbacher Rocco Reitz sent the Stuttgart Nick Woltemade, which put on the ex-Mainz Gruda.
After the break, the Slovakia made it difficult for the German team for the substitute debutant Caspar Jander (Nuremberg) and Lukas Ullrich (Mönchengladbach) with a lot of physicality and sniffed to equalize. Woltemade wasn’t missing much for the calming 2: 0 (72nd).