Germany’s under-21 national team overcame an early deficit to defeat Malta 4–1 in Attard, moving one step closer to securing qualification for the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Forward Nicolo Tresoldi scored a hat-trick on Friday, netting his 14th, 15th, and 16th goals for the DFB youth setup to anchor the victory at the Centenary Stadium.
Early Deficit and Tactical Shuffles in Attard
Head coach Antonio Di Salvo made eight changes to his starting lineup following a 4–0 victory over Latvia, retaining only the frontline trio centered around Tresoldi. The experimental setup immediately ran into trouble on the artificial surface in Malta. Basil Tuma opened the scoring for the hosts in the 9th minute, capitalizing on a turnover near the centerline by debutant Noahkai Banks of FC Augsburg. Fellow debutant Max Weiß of FC Burnley was left isolated and unable to stop Tuma’s breakthrough.
“Perhaps the 1-0 was a wake-up call,” said Leandro Morgalla of FC Salzburg, reflecting on the sluggish start.
Tresoldi and Rothe Turn the Match Around
Germany responded swiftly. Just two minutes after Tuma’s opener, Morgalla struck the post, allowing Tresoldi to react with his customary instinct and poke home the equalizer in the 11th minute. Tom Rothe added a second for the visitors in the 32nd minute, heading in amid a scramble inside the Maltese penalty area to cap a disjointed first half of attacking play.
Tresoldi took complete control after the break. He struck again in the 47th minute, then sealed his hat-trick with a precise free-kick in the 69th minute. Playing as team captain in the absence of Tom Bischof, the forward pushed his career tally for the German U21s to 16 goals, passing DFB sports director Rudi Völler on the all-time scoring list. Only Heiko Herrlich with 17 goals and Pierre Littbarski with 18 sit ahead of him.
“I am satisfied, even if the game was not outstanding,” Tresoldi told broadcasters after the final whistle. “In the end, we have the three points and we scored four goals.”
Path to the Under-21 European Championship
With the 4–1 win secured in front of approximately 500 spectators, Germany sits on the brink of booking their place at next summer’s tournament in Albania and Serbia. Di Salvo’s squad will host Georgia on Tuesday in Bielefeld, where a single victory will guarantee qualification for the continental finals.
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