Germany also won the third preliminary round game at the U-21 European Championship for the first time and thus secured the group victory in front of England. Now Italy is waiting in the quarter -finals.
In the 2-1 (1-0) on Wednesday evening (June 18, 2025) Ansgar Knauff (3rd) and Nelson Weiper (33.) met for the DFB team before Alex Scott shortened in the 76th minute.
Even before the game, national coach Antonio di Salvo announced that he would rotate against the defending champion. The actual extent of his change measures compared to the 4: 2 against the Czech Republic surprised: The 46-year-old exchanged his entire first team and completely put on the second guard. But it started excellently.
Dream pass from Lukas Ullrich
After the pressing of Nelson Weiper and Casper Jander was successful in midfield, Lukas Ullrich started on the left wing. With a brilliant chip pass behind the English defense chain, the Gladbacher staged in the center of Knauff, who gave no chance in the goal of the English with a placed flat shot in James Beadle.
As a result, the Young Lions also came to several dangerous attacks, which they gave away several times due to too much stubbornness in the front line. After a trip full of ball losses and position errors, especially from Jamil Siebert, the DFB team stabilized again after around 20 minutes and had the chance to 2-0: Paul Wanner prevailed on the penalty area and put on the angle from 18 meters only very thin.
Knauff also shines as a preparer
After half an hour, Wanner also found Knauff in the final position, which was still blocked. But shortly afterwards the Frankfurt shone as a preparer. At Knauff’s precise right -wing flank, Weiper was actually outnumbered in the center, but prevailed against two English with force in the header and placed the ball perfectly into the left corner.
A curiosity followed in added time in the first half – suddenly the floodlights darkened in the Štatión Pod Zoborom of Nitra. After a long interruption, referee Sander van der Eijk discussed with the two captains and had the faded 45 seconds replay – but without both teams being active again.
Scott meets the connection
The second round was then a little better illuminated again, but was no longer too illuminating: Englang tried to establish the connection from time to time, but it was missing time as in the first 45 minutes of sparkling ideas.
A quarter of an hour before the end, Omari Hutchinson nibbled the German right -back Elias Baum, played sharply in front of the goal, where Scott only had to put on. Then the DFB team wobbled again and got hardly any relief. But Hertha goalkeeper Tjark was captured with a few strong parades, especially with Charlie Cresswell’s header in the 83rd minute, the scarce but well-deserved success.
Now in the quarter -finals against Italy
As a sovereign winner of Group B, the German team now meets Italy on Sunday at 9 p.m., the inferior Englishmakers are dealing with Spain. It won’t be easy for Di Salvo after the third group win: Knauff, Weiper, Jander, Wanner, Ullrich or Merlin Röhl have also demonstrated a lot of players from the supposed second guard on other starting.