U21 European Championship against Italy
Crime thriller in extra time: DFB team reaches semi-finals
Updated on June 22nd, 2025 – 11:49 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
The quarter -finals against the “Azzurrini” becomes a competitive duel at eye level. Everything seems possible for a long time. Shortly before the end of the regular season, it shock for the DFB team-from which it recovered late.
The dream of the European Championship title for the German U21 lives: The team of coach Antonio di Salvo prevailed in a dramatic game against Italy on Sunday evening 3-2 (2: 2, 0: 0) after extra time and is in the semi-finals.
Luca Koleosho (58th) had taken Italy in lead, Nick Woltemade (68th) and Nelson Weiper (87.) turned the game for the DFB team before the “Azzurrini” was still forced the extension (90.+6) at the last second due to a remarkable free kick by Giuseppe Ambrosino. Curious: Italy only played too ninth at that time after Wilfried Gnonto had to get off the pitch for a repeated foul (81.) and Mattia Zanotti because of complaining (90th).
In the extension, Merlin Röhl became the match winner for Germany (117th). In the semi -finals, Germany is now meeting France.
As the only team, the DFB selection had completed the preliminary round with the maximum yield of nine points, for the fight for the semi-finals, coach Di Salvo, after his complete rotation against England (2: 1), returned to his tried and tested eleven around Woltemade and the attacker Nicolò Tresoldi born in Sardinia.
And the German eleven tried immediately to check the game, but the Italians had the first degree: Koleosho pulled flat from the edge of the penalty area, but Noah Atubolu parried without any problems (7th). On the opposite side, the DFB selection in the game signed up: Woltemade pulled strongly from the left side into the middle and shot just left left (13th).
As a result, the Italians became a bit more active, but both teams always made simple playback errors. The “Azzurri” were then the more active team: Matteo Prati came to the ball in the best position, but got stuck – at the German counterattack Paul Nebel failed from an acute angle on Italy’s keeper Sebastiano Desplanche (36.). Shortly before the break, Prati (45th) put a long -range shot on the left.
After the change of sides, the Italians remained the better team, against the compact defensive of the southern Europeans, hardly anything came to the DFB selection. Gnonto ran from the side position alone towards Atubolu and failed due to the strongly reacting German keeper (56th). Just two minutes later, Koleosho from 17 meters scored to deserved leadership.
Germany tried to answer – and was able to rely on Woltemade once again: the tall striker headed after a corner. The game was now completely open. Weip hit the lead after the flank of Röhl and forwarding from Woltemade, but Ambrosino had the last word in the regular season. In the extension, the German team was clearly superior, Röhl rewarded the DFB team.