The U21 national team won their eight European qualifier 1-0 on Stefan Kuntz’s debut in the dugout. Serge Gnabry scored the winner just before the break to put Germany five points ahead at the top of their group with two games to go after Austria and Russia played out a 1-1 draw.
“We tried to close down the spaces and we did it well. We lacked control in our finishing though. There are things that we can improve on,” explained Kuntz after the game.
The Germany youngsters took the game by the scruff of the neck from the outset and had their first good chance in the third minute but Finland‘s goalkeeper Otso Virtanen blocked well from Timo Werner who was left unmarked in the box. Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Mo Dahoud had the next chance but his shot from the edge of the hosts’ 18-yard-box lacked power.
Gnabry with solo goal
The hosts sat deep and waited for opportunities to counter. Finland came closest to a goal when Dynamo Dresden goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe parried a free-kick from range straight out into the path of Daniel Hatakka but the linesman’s flag was up.
The Germany centre-backs Kevin Akpoguma and Niklas Stark were rarely troubled but it was a totally different story at the other end. Levin Öztunali fired straight at Virtanen in the 41st minute, before Gnabry grabbed the opener. The Olympic silver medallist powered down the wing, drove the ball across goal and it found its way into the far corner from a narrow angle with the help of Finland’s Sauli Vaisanen.
Controlled tenth win in a row
Germany controlled the game after the restart but chances were few and far between. The main piece of action was a header from Niklas Stark from a corner in the 52nd minute that looked destined to double the DFB team’s lead before being hooked away off the goal line. Nadiem Amiri and Yannick Gerhardt also couldn’t get the ball over the line for a second time despite both having good chances.
Gnabry could have had a brace shortly before full time but he managed to sky a shot over the crossbar from barely two yards in the 83rd minute. Amiri then had a shot from distance that missed by a whisker. When the final whistle blew, the Germany U21s had completed their tenth win in a row to equal their record (ten wins between August 2011 and September 2012).
The U21 national team won their eight European qualifier 1-0 on Stefan Kuntz’s debut in the dugout. Serge Gnabry scored the winner just before the break to put Germany five points ahead at the top of their group with two games to go after Austria and Russia played out a 1-1 draw.
“We tried to close down the spaces and we did it well. We lacked control in our finishing though. There are things that we can improve on,” explained Kuntz after the game.
The Germany youngsters took the game by the scruff of the neck from the outset and had their first good chance in the third minute but Finland‘s goalkeeper Otso Virtanen blocked well from Timo Werner who was left unmarked in the box. Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Mo Dahoud had the next chance but his shot from the edge of the hosts’ 18-yard-box lacked power.
Gnabry with solo goal
The hosts sat deep and waited for opportunities to counter. Finland came closest to a goal when Dynamo Dresden goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe parried a free-kick from range straight out into the path of Daniel Hatakka but the linesman’s flag was up.
The Germany centre-backs Kevin Akpoguma and Niklas Stark were rarely troubled but it was a totally different story at the other end. Levin Öztunali fired straight at Virtanen in the 41st minute, before Gnabry grabbed the opener. The Olympic silver medallist powered down the wing, drove the ball across goal and it found its way into the far corner from a narrow angle with the help of Finland’s Sauli Vaisanen.
Controlled tenth win in a row
Germany controlled the game after the restart but chances were few and far between. The main piece of action was a header from Niklas Stark from a corner in the 52nd minute that looked destined to double the DFB team’s lead before being hooked away off the goal line. Nadiem Amiri and Yannick Gerhardt also couldn’t get the ball over the line for a second time despite both having good chances.
Gnabry could have had a brace shortly before full time but he managed to sky a shot over the crossbar from barely two yards in the 83rd minute. Amiri then had a shot from distance that missed by a whisker. When the final whistle blew, the Germany U21s had completed their tenth win in a row to equal their record (ten wins between August 2011 and September 2012).
