Woltemade Scores Hat-Trick as Germany Defeats Slovenia in U21 Euro Championship Opener

A remarkable hat-trick from Nick Woltemade propelled Germany to a convincing 3-0 victory over Slovenia, marking a winning start for the three-time champions in the U21 European Championship held in Nitra.

The opening half showcased a contrasting narrative as Slovenia, the underdogs, squandered their opportunities while Woltemade netted two goals to establish Germany’s advantage.

Nicolo Tresoldi had a half-chance early on but quickly turned playmaker, cleverly nodding the ball down for Woltemade, who volleyed it home from eight yards to score the first goal.

Slovenia responded impressively, with Tio Cipot coming close to equalising. However, he hesitated when approaching the goal, allowing Noah Atubolu to rush out and block the attempt, preventing the Grazer AK striker from capitalising.

As Slovenia held their ground after going behind, they unusually afforded Max Rosenfelder a free run just before half-time, a decision they would come to regret.

The SC Freiburg defender advanced a full 30 yards before squaring the ball to Woltemade, who had another straightforward chance to finish, marking his second goal of the match.

As the half neared its conclusion, Slovenia squandered yet another prime opportunity, with Cipot failing to find the net from a solid cross by Marko Brest, heading wide instead.

While anything can happen in football, a comeback for Andrej Razdrh’s side seemed unlikely as Germany controlled an uninspiring second half that featured more yellow cards than shots on target.

In a rare moment of attacking flair, Tresoldi came closest to scoring again, but Lovro Golic intervened with a vital last-minute block to deny the Hannover striker, following a dazzling run from Brajan Gruda.

The night concluded with Woltemade converting a penalty for his third goal, awarded after Golic slipped and fouled Nelson Weiper inside the box.

This solid performance sets up Germany well ahead of their upcoming match against Czechia on Sunday.

Slovenia, facing a daunting challenge against England next, learned a painful lesson in tournament football following a night filled with missed opportunities and could-have-beens at Stadion Pod Zoborom.