Germany celebrates: U21 defeats Italy 3-2 after a thriller!

Germany celebrates: U21 defeats Italy 3-2 after a thriller!

The Germany U21 national team celebrated a thrilling victory against Italy in the quarter-finals of the U21 European Championship on June 23, 2025. In Dunajska Streda, Slovakia, the team won 3-2, although the game ended 1-1 after regular 90 minutes. A dramatic finish was announced when the Italian team equalized 2-2 through Giuseppe Ambrosino in stoppage time, more precisely in the 90th + 6th minute, forcing extra time. Merlin Röhl scored the decisive goal in the 117th minute, which secured Germany's place in the semi-finals. This means that the DFB selection is in this round of the European Championship for the seventh time in history.

What a gameplay! Italy had to operate twice outnumbered after Wilfried Gnonto and Mattia Zanotti were sent off in the final stages of the game. Despite many substitutions and yellow cards on both sides, it was an open duel. Germany, who initially missed a few chances, initially found themselves behind thanks to Luca Koleosho's goal in the 58th minute, but Nick Woltemade equalized a short time later (68th minute).

A look at player performance

The individual performances of the German players were mixed, as shown by the grades provided by ran.de were published. Both goalkeeper Noah Atubolu and captain Eric Martel did not get through the game without defects, their grades were between 3 and 5. What is particularly noteworthy, however, is the performance of Merlin Röhl, who shone with a grade of 1 and the winning goal. Bright Arrey-Mbi is considered “Man of the Match” with a solid grade of 2.

• Noah Atubolu: Note 3
• Nnamdi Collins: Note 4
• Max Rosenfelder: Note 2
• Bright Arrey-Mbi: Note 2
• Nick Woltemade: Note 2
• Merlin Röhl: Note 1
• Nelson Weiper: Note 1

Although the overall performance was poor, the players can be happy about promotion. The next opponent in the semi-finals will be France, an exciting challenge for the DFB team. The tournament statistics so far make it clear that the German U21s have the potential to perform later in the competition, despite their setback in the first half. Similar information can be found on kicker.de be read.

Overall, it was a nerve-wracking game that demanded a lot from the spectators, but ultimately ended with a deserved victory for the German youngsters. The upcoming games promise a lot of excitement! Will they be able to carry this euphoria into the next game against France?