Young German U21 squad triumphs with a resounding 10-1 victory on the road, advancing towards the European Championships.
The German U21 squad, spearheaded by hat-trick hero Karim Adeyemi, is now preparing for the EM with confidence. They securely clinched a dominating 10:1 victory over Estonia, despite some key players being absent. Coach Antonio Di Salvo's team is now virtually assured of participation in the European Championship next summer in Slovakia, following their 10-0 (5-0) halftime lead against Estonia, who remained winless at the bottom of the table.
With two games left in the qualifying round, the German Football Association is leading the table with a comfortable four-point advantage over Poland. The team had previously showcased their offensive skills with a 5:1 victory against Israel. During this match in Tallinn, Adeyemi from Dortmund scored a hat-trick at the 35th, 44th, and 61st minutes. Further goals were notched by Stuttgart's Nick Woltemade (penalty at the 23rd minute), Hannover 96's Nicolo Tresoldi (31st), and 1. FC Köln's captain Eric Martel (39th) before the break.
Nearly breaking the record
After the break, Woltemade completed his brace at the 47th minute. SC Freiburg's Max Rosenfelder scored his debut goal at the 59th minute. Cologne's Tim Lemperle (87th) and Frankfurt's Ansgar Knauff (90th) contributed to the double-digit scoreline, while Aleksandr Sapovalov of Estonia managed a remarkable goal of his own at the 69th minute. The German U21 team's record win, a 11:0 against San Marino in November 2009, narrowly escaped being broken.
The German team will face Bulgaria on October 11th in Regensburg, followed by their final qualifying match against Poland four days later. Di Salvo may use the November international window to fine-tune his formation for the finals or experiment with other strategies.
Di Salvo's expectations met
Di Salvo had expressed his ambitions before the match, stating that they wanted to demonstrate their German identity and secure a clear victory. The team proved worthy of this goal, showcasing their abilities after Estonia's Patrik Kristal, playing at 1. FC Köln next season, initially held his own. However, the game shifted dramatically in Germany's favor after Woltemade's successful penalty. Remarkably, Estonia's goalkeeper, Kaur Kivila, managed to prevent further goals despite the heavy odds against his team.
Di Salvo made three changes at half-time, giving Stuttgart's Frans Krätzig his U21 debut, and eventually giving a chance to Bochum's Tim Oermann. The absences of key players like striker Youssoufa Moukoko, who recently joined a French Ligue 1 team, or offensive player Brajan Gruda, who transferred to Brighton & Hove Albion from 1. FSV Mainz 05, were not cause for concern, given the team's resounding victory.
The German U21 squad, buoyed by their dominating performance in soccer, aims to maintain their form in the upcoming matches against Bulgaria and Poland. Amidst their impressive 10:1 victory over Estonia, the team was close to breaking their record of a 11:0 win against San Marino in 2009.
