A semi-final classic

Germany’s U21s must defeat England on Tuesday night (27/06/17) in order to book themselves a place in the U21 European Championship final in Poland. 

Berlin – An epic duel awaits, a duel with a lot of brisance, and even more tradition behind it: Germany versus England. The sporting rivalry goes as far back to the Wembley goal in the 1966 World Cup final. The fact that Germany progressed in the 1996 European Championship on penalties exactly 30 years to that day only contributed to the exciting history of this much-anticipated matchup. The two footballing nations meet again on Tuesday, even if it’s ‘only’ a game to be played at U21 level.

The duel, in which Hertha’s Niklas Stark, Mitchell Weiser, and Davie Selke could feature, is prestigious nonetheless. One individual who is fully aware of that fact – and played in the aforementioned game in 1996 himself – is Stefan Kuntz. Germany’s U21s manager looks back on the EURO victory with fond memories. “Of course I remember it very well, it ended up being the greatest win of my entire career,” said Kuntz. However, the former player will not dwell on the memories. Instead, he will concentrate on his opponents and prepare his boys for the semi-final in Tychy (18:00 CEST). “It’s all or nothing. We can deal with that,” believes the 54-year-old, who remains optimistic despite his side’s 1-0 loss to Italy in their final group game. “We’re one of the four best teams in Europe. There’s not a negative word to say: it’s a huge success for the troops,” he said.

Anticipation and confidence

The mood within the team is positive and reflects a mix of anticipation and confidence. “I never go into a matchup with fear, even if it’s a semi-final against England. Respect, yes, but never fear when it comes to a football game,” revealed determined captain Maximilian Arnold. Kuntz knows what awaits his boys. “England have players with pace whose efficiency in front of goal has stood out. We have to avoid giving them lots of chances,” said the manager.

The final, in which the winner of Italy versus Spain will await either Germany or England, will be played on Friday evening (30/06/17). How apt would it be for the Germans to reach another final after winning an epic clash with a lot of brisance and even more history behind it.