Germany's U21 team will compete against England's U21 squad in the final on Saturday after defeating France in a decisive match, scoring two goals within the first 15 minutes.
Both teams made alterations to their lineups following challenging quarter-final matches. Germany's coach, Antonio Di Salvo, introduced Ansgar Knauff and Nelson Weiper, who replaced Brajan Gruda and Nicolò Tresoldi in the attack.
France's coach, Gérald Baticle, also made three changes from the team that achieved a comeback victory over Denmark. However, it was Weiper, one of Germany's new starters, who scored the opening goal after reacting quickly to a rebound from a saved shot by Paul Nebel.
Shortly after, Nick Woltemade, who initiated the move, scored his sixth goal of the tournament, doubling Germany's lead. France's defense struggled early without their captain, Chrislain Matsima, making critical errors in the opening minutes.
Although Germany faced an injury setback with Max Rosenfelder's early substitution, Tim Oermann stepped in effectively. France managed to regroup but went into halftime trailing by two goals.
In the second half, Baticle substituted Matthis Abline for Thierno Barry, who quickly created a significant chance. However, Germany maintained control, with Weiper getting two more opportunities to extend the lead.
France's Barry came close to scoring in the 67th minute, but his header was cleared off the line by Germany's Noah Atubolu. Woltemade later missed an opportunity to secure the victory, while France's pressure increased towards the end of the match.
After a lengthy VAR check, Germany sealed their win with a goal from Gruda, assisted by Paul Wanner. Germany now prepares to face defending champions England in the final, having previously defeated them 2-1 during the group stage.
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