Paris Brunner scored twice on his debut to lead Germany’s under-21 national team to a 4-0 victory against Latvia in a European Championship qualifying match on Saturday, keeping the squad firmly on course for the tournament.
Brunner Makes Instant Impact on Debut
Playing at the Daugava Stadium in Riga, the 20-year-old forward needed just 53 seconds to open the scoring. After receiving a flat cross from Lukas Ullrich inside the penalty area, Brunner bundled the ball over the line with his right knee. He added his second goal in the 41st minute with a precise long-range strike from the edge of the box. Reflecting on his performance in a broadcast interview with Sat.1, Brunner expressed his delight. “I am overjoyed,” he said. “The main thing is that we won, and the brace is the cherry on top.”
Standings and Direct Qualification Path
With the win, Germany remains at the top of Group F with 21 points. Greece sits directly behind in second place, level on points after securing a 3-0 victory against Georgia on the same matchday. Because Germany holds the advantage in the head-to-head tiebreaker, the team needs only two wins in its remaining fixtures to secure a direct spot at the tournament. Those final qualifiers take place on Wednesday against bottom-placed Malta, followed by a home fixture against Georgia in Bielefeld on October 6.
Squad Adjustments and Upcoming Fixtures
Their absence opened the door for debuts by former under-17 World Cup winners Noah Darvich and Brunner. Midfielder Tom Bischof captained the side before being substituted in the 58th minute, after which Nicoló Tresoldi took over the armband. Tresoldi, who scored Germany’s third goal with a lob in the 52nd minute, recorded his 13th goal in 25 appearances for the under-21 team. Arijon Ibrahimovic capped the scoring in the 76th minute.
