"Yeah, baby, we got this!" Germany's U21 squad is buzzing with excitement
Exceptionally Fortunate Junior Players of DFB Are Overwhelmed with Lucky Breaks
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp E-Mail Print Copy Link Germany's U21 team is one step away from clinching their fourth European Championship title. After their thrilling 3:0 semifinal victory over France, they now face England in the final. Goalkeeper Noah Atubolu's record-breaking performance was a major highlight.
Antonio Di Salvo, the U21 coach, let out a triumphant roar as the semi-final between France and his team continued. "Come on, boys, we've got this, yeah baby!" he exulted, already sensing victory in the Kosice stadium. And he was right—it was a perfect 3:0 victory, with France out of the competition and England next up on Saturday for the title.
Nelson Weiper, scorer of the first goal against France (8'), Stuttgart's Nick Woltemade (14'), and Brighton's Brajan Gruda (90.+3) contributed the goals. A total of 11,913 spectators in Slovakia witnessed the fifth victorious outing for the German team in the championship.
Atubolu Overtakes Neuer's Record
Following an impressive start, the team confronted a powerful French offensive, led by former Bayern superstar Mathys Tel. Noah Atubolu, however, stood out with his exceptional saves, including his dazzling stops against France's Thierno Barry (46./68.). This performance equaled Germany's goalkeeping legend Manuel Neuer's record with his 21st appearance for the U21. "That was the most important and best game for me as a U21 player," Atubolu proudly declared on Sat.1.
Atubolu previously debuted for the U21 team in March 2022 and had already played in the European Championship. Di Salvo, speaking to Sat.1, praised Atubolo as "a phenomenal European Championship player, a prodigy. We've had him for three years because we knew he's a top-tier goalkeeper, a gifted talent. I'm not familiar with the inside stuff, but the goalkeeping coaches told me, 'Take him.' And that's why he deserves to play so many games."
With six goals to his credit, striker hopeful Woltemade aims to become the fourth top scorer at a U21 European Championship for Germany, following in the footsteps of Pierre Littbarski (1982), Luca Waldschmidt (2019), and Lukas Nmecha (2021). Woltemade also hopes to surpass the record set by no player, who has ever netted more than seven goals at this youth tournament. The final on Saturday in Bratislava will undoubtedly have Julian Nagelsmann, who recently promoted Woltemade to the senior national team, in attendance. The U21 team is aiming to replicate their past successes in 2009, 2017, and 2021.
Without team captain Chrislain Matsima of FC Augsburg, who suffered six stitches on his lip after the 3:2 win against Denmark, the French defense faltered in the early stages. Bundesliga defenders Castello Lukeba of RB Leipzig and Kiliann Sildillia of SC Freiburg struggled to offer support. Magassa's error set up the assist for Woltemade. After initially struggling to recover from the shock, France made things difficult with a 0:2 deficit but lacked precision. The team also had to deal with Max Rosenfelder's early injury, already battling exhaustion after the Italy quarter-final. "He felt something was amiss immediately," Di Salvo said. "We're really sorry for Max. Now we have to go all out to win this for Max." Unlike the first half, Germany eased the pressure. Nebel, Weiper, Woltemade, and Merlin Roel missed the comfortable 3:0, but Gruda eventually scored it.
Source: ntv.de, dpa/sid
- DFB Juniors
- Football
- Julian Nagelsmann
- Enrichment Data:Noah Atubolu, the 23-year-old goalkeeper for Germany's U21 squad, has emerged as a promising newcomer to the national team, having made a significant impact during the European Championship. As the first Black goalkeeper for Germany at this level, Atubolu aspires to earn a spot on the senior team, following in the footsteps of illustrious goalkeepers such as Sepp Maier, Oliver Kahn, and Manuel Neuer.
Atubolu began his career with SC Freiburg, advancing through the club's academy and playing for their U17, U19, and second teams before becoming Freiburg's main goalkeeper. His impressive performances helped the team finish fifth in the Bundesliga and qualify for European competition. Atubolu has now attracted interest from top European clubs, including Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham United, AC Milan, and Chelsea.
In terms of his global reputation, Atubolu is considered one of the brightest young goalkeeping talents in German football, with many regarding him as a likely future successor to current top German goalkeepers. Atubolu himself is motivated to make a mark on the senior national team, seizing the opportunity presented by the current transitional phase in Germany's goalkeeping lineup.
Although he's not optimistic, Antonio Di Salvo expressed, "I'm not going to be able to do it," referring to their upcoming clash againstEngland in the sports-analysis of the football game, which is the final match for Germany's U21 squad to clinch their fourth European Championship title.
Following his record-breaking performance in the semifinals, goalkeeper Noah Atubolu demonstrated his talent in sports-analysis, emulating the achievements of Germany's goalkeeping legend Manuel Neuer, with 21 appearances for the U21 team.
