3:1 against Poland: German U21 takes the lead in the table
The German U21 national team beat their biggest rivals to win the group and took an important step towards qualifying for the European Championship thanks to their strong comeback qualities.
Coach Antonio Di Salvo's team did not allow themselves to be rattled by an interim deficit in their 3:1 (0:1) win over Poland. Germany overtook Poland, who are level on points, in the table. Both teams have twelve points. However, leaders Germany have played one game less.
In front of 8559 spectators in Essen, Eric Martel (56th minute), substitute Nick Woltemade (79th) and Merlin Röhl (82nd) scored the goals for the youngsters. Ariel Mosor had initially put the visitors ahead (24').
Both teams were on an equal footing from the start and fought close duels. In the drizzle, technical inaccuracies such as problems receiving the ball initially prevented a real flow to the game. It took just under a quarter of an hour before Ansgar Knauff had the first good chance to score. The ball fell to the feet of the Frankfurt man in a promising position in the penalty area, but Knauff failed to hit the ball properly and shot straight into the arms of Polish goalkeeper Kacper Tobiasz.
The visitors did better. Following a corner, the advanced defender Mosor got his shot away quite easily from the five-meter area and scored to give Poland the lead.
The 1:0 gave coach Adam Majewski's team confidence. From a well-staggered defense, they repeatedly attacked quickly and caused Germany problems. With a little more efficiency in finishing, Poland could well have made a preliminary decision. The visitors at least did well up to the penalty area. Germany were by no means hopelessly outclassed, but there were very few signs of an equalizer.
That changed after the break. The agile Youssoufa Moukoko, in particular, repeatedly spurred the game on with energetic runs at pace and played a decisive role in the equalizer. The Dortmund player took a free-kick, which he himself fired into the wall. From there, the ball bounced to Martel and the U21 captain scored to make it 1:1. After Poland initially had further chances, the DFB team had the greater reserves of strength in the end. Woltemade and Röhl drew huge cheers from the German fans.
The nine group winners and the three best group runners-up will qualify for the 2025 finals in Slovakia. The six remaining group runners-up will compete in play-offs to determine the last three places at the European Championships.
The German U21 team, managed by Antonio Di Salvo, was in excellent form during their 3:1 win over Poland, which significantly improved their chances of qualifying for the U21 European Championship (EM) managed by the DFB. In the table, this victory pushed Germany ahead of Poland, as both teams now have twelve points, but Germany has a game in hand.
The German U21 team showcased their impressive comeback abilities in the EM qualification stage, gallantly defeating Poland after trailing 0:1 in the first half and ultimately securing a 3:1 victory, with goals from Eric Martel, Nick Woltemade, and Merlin Röhl.
Source: www.dpa.com
