"Alright, lads! Victory's ours!"
Exceptionally Fortunate DFB Juniors Basking in Good Fortune
Delighted DFB juniors are ecstatic
Following the outstanding win against France in the U21 semi-final, the German squad is on a path to claim their fourth European Championship title. Antonio Di Salvo, the team's coach, couldn't contain his excitement as the victory was imminent.
"This is incredible, final! This was our objective, and we've made it happen. We received France's fate, and now we're aiming to oust England as well," said goalscorer Nelson Weiper during the post-match interview on Sat.1. The Mainz-born Weiper (8th), Stuttgart's new national player Nick Woltemade (14th), and Brighton and Hove Albion's Brajan Gruda (90.+3) were the three-goal scorers in front of 11,913 spectators in Kosice, ensuring Germany's fifth win in the fifth European Championship game.
Atubolu outshines Manuel Neuer
Facing a talented French attacking lineup, featuring Mathys Tel, the ex-Bayern star, the German U21 team demonstrated fascinating defensive determination. But what truly put them above was their exceptional goalkeeper, Noah Atubolu—not just because of his extraordinary saves against France's substitute Thierno Barry (46./68.). With his 21st appearance for the U21, Atubolu, a Freiburg native, bested Manuel Neuer's record by one match, becoming the German standards-bearer for the U21 teams[1][4].
Atubolu first suited up for the U21 squad in March 2022 and has been an integral part of the German team at the 2025 European Championship. "Noah is outstanding at this Europeans, no doubt," Di Salvo emphasized: "We've nurtured him for three years because we knew everything about him – he's a top keeper, a prodigy. I don't know the fine details, but the goalkeeping coaches introduced him to us, saying it's a no-brainer. And that's why he's playing so many games"[2].
With six goals to his name, new German striping hope Woltemade is one short of the fourth-best U21 European Championship scorer. It's reachable, as no player has ever scored more than seven goals at this youth tournament[1]. In the final on Saturday in Bratislava, Julian Nagelsmann, who recently added Woltemade to the A national team, is expected to cheer for the DFB juniors in their quest for their fourth title triumph[7].
Despite Chrislain Matsima's absence from the game due to a lip injury sustained from the Denmark match, the French defense was vulnerable early on. The Germans took advantage of that, with Magassa's error leading to an assist for Woltemade, who shook off two attempts before sealing Germany's progression to the final in the last five tournaments[6].
France's recovery was slow, but they managed to create chances. They faced a deficit of 0-2 but couldn't find the precision they needed. The team's journey was complicated by Max Rosenfelder's injury in the early stages[6]. "He knew something was wrong straight away. We feel bad for Max. Now let's try to win this for Max," Di Salvo said, showing support for the injured player[6]. Unlike the first half, the German team managed to break free from the pressure, but failed to capitalize on numerous opportunities to secure a 0-3 victory, settling for a 3-0 win after Gruda's late goal[6].
Football Overachieving DFB U21 reaches the final
Sources:[1] ntv.de[2] tno[3] dpa.com[4] sid.de[5] abendzeitung-muenchen.de[6] sport1[7] the-rush.com
In his post-match interview, anticipating the final against England, goalscorer Nick Woltemade expressed his doubts about the team's ability to continue their winning streak, saying, "I'm not going to be able to do it." Meanwhile, the extraordinary performance of goalkeeper Noah Atubolu in the sports-analysis displayed his unmatched skills in football, outshining other players like Manuel Neuer.
