U21 European Championship qualification
DFB-Elf celebrates groundbreaking success
Updated March 31, 2026 – 7:57 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
The German young footballers were under pressure before the game in Greece, but they delivered and are now in a good starting position.
The German U21 national team had a groundbreaking game in Greece on Tuesday as part of their European Championship qualification. The DFB youth team prevailed 2-0 (1-0). Saïd El Mala (11th minute) and Anton Kade (73rd) scored the away win.
Germany took revenge for the 2-3 defeat in the first leg. At the same time, thanks to the direct comparison won, the DFB juniors moved past Greece in the qualifying group and are now first. Both teams have 18 points with three games remaining. Only the first team in the table qualifies directly for the European Championship finals in 2027.
DFB coach Antonio Di Salvo spoke of “pressure on the ball” before kick-off. At least: The expected cauldron didn’t happen – the 4,000 fans created a great atmosphere, but many seats remained empty. The early lead by El Mala further silenced the spectators. The 19-year-old reacted quickly after a corner and hit the far corner from the turn.
“It was a wonderful shot with his beautiful technique. He did it wonderfully,” said DFB sports director Rudi Völler, who traveled to Athens, at ProSieben MAXX. For El Mala, who had recently also hoped for a nomination from Julian Nagelsmann, it was the first goal in the seventh U21 game, and the celebration was correspondingly emotional: the 19-year-old dried his wet eyes with the jersey.
The Greeks responded with furious attacks on the deficit, and Werder Bremen’s regular goalkeeper Mio Backhaus had to make several saves. It went back and forth until the break: Nicoló Tresoldi, who recently scored a double goal against Northern Ireland, missed the 2-0 (32nd minute). The Greeks countered with physical play, but it usually ended in the penalty area. The only but harmless means were shots from a distance.
After the break, Greece increased the pressure, but the German defense held tight. On the other side, El Mala had a second goal twice after counterattacks (55th/61st). The important 2-0, which decided the direct comparison in Germany’s favor, was scored by Kade with his head. It was also his first goal in the U21 uniform.
