Woltemade Strikes Once More as Germany Dominates France to Set Up Final Showdown with England

Germany is set to meet England in the final of the UEFA U21 European Championships after a resounding 3-0 victory over France at the Košice football arena. The Young Lions will be wary, as the three-time tournament champions are on a remarkable unbeaten streak of 20 games (17 wins, 3 draws).

Having reached the latter stages of this tournament consistently, Germany has now qualified for the final in three of the last four Euro U21 editions. Their dominance was evident early on in Košice, as Paul Nebel rattled the crossbar, only for Nelson Weiper to react swiftly in the six-yard box and volley into an empty net.

Just six minutes later, the score doubled to 2-0, with the tournament’s leading scorer, Nick Woltemade, netting his sixth goal after Guillaume Restes saved his initial attempt in a one-on-one situation. Although facing an uphill battle, France fought back valiantly with Djaoui Cissé and Wilson Odobert testing Noah Atubolu with excellent shots. As the first half drew to a close, France continued to press, with Matthis Abline narrowly missing the top corner.

In a bid to maintain France’s attacking momentum after the break, manager Gérald Baticleø brought on Thierno Barry due to Abline’s injury. The substitution nearly paid off instantly, as Barry required a quick reaction save from Atubolu. France’s frustrations grew as they neared the final 20 minutes, with Barry’s close-range header somehow being thwarted by a determined Atubolu.

Woltemade had a golden chance to settle any lingering German nerves but shockingly headed wide, completely unmarked. Barely a minute later, Merlin Röhl forced Restes into a save as the contest showed no signs of fading away. Despite a flurry of late corners for France and a header from Barry that struck the post, Germany weathered the storm to secure their spot in Saturday’s final, capped off by a late tap-in from Brajan Gruda after Paul Wanner’s assist during stoppage time.

With another appearance in the UEFA U21 European Championships final, the time-honoured rivalry between England and Germany is set to reignite in Bratislava. Previous encounters have seen Germany come out on top during the group stages (2-1), but the Young Lions have claimed victory in their last two meetings, making for an intriguing showdown ahead of the final. Meanwhile, France’s wait to reach the tournament final will extend at least two more years, with Les Espoirs now missing out on U21 glory for 25 years.