Antonio Di Salvo’s Germany U21 team is set to host Latvia U21 at the Ostseestadion in Rostock on Tuesday evening, aiming to kick off their 2027 European Championship qualifying campaign successfully.
Germany enters the qualifying round following a 2-0 friendly victory over Albania. Di Salvo expressed satisfaction with the team's performance, especially considering the changes made since the summer tournament in Slovakia. The U21 squad is undergoing a transformation with new players stepping up.
Despite a challenging first half against Albania, where the front three struggled to score, the game turned in Germany's favor after ten halftime substitutions. Debutants Ilyas Ansah and Dzenan Pejčinović scored within the first seven minutes of the second half, securing the win. Pejčinović noted the importance of their impact, stating, "Ilyas and I both know each other well, including our routines, but the fact that we both scored is, I think, the icing on the cake."
This performance has created a selection dilemma for Di Salvo ahead of the match against Latvia. While Weiper and Tresoldi are reliable options after their contributions in Bratislava, Ansah and Pejčinović have made a strong case for starting positions. The competition for attacking roles is expected to be intense.
Midfielder Umut Tohumcu expressed enthusiasm about playing in front of local fans, hoping for a turnout exceeding 10,000 supporters. He emphasized the motivation that home support provides.
In terms of team news, Augsburg midfielder Anton Kade withdrew from the squad due to injury shortly before the Albania match, and Di Salvo has chosen not to call up a replacement, maintaining a 22-man squad. No new injury issues were reported following the friendly.
On the other hand, Latvia U21 is still pursuing its first-ever appearance in a U21 European Championship, facing tough competition from teams like Germany, Greece, and Northern Ireland.
Coach Jakub Dovalil has focused on integrating new talent into the squad, with 18 players sourced from seven Latvian clubs. The remaining players are from clubs in England, Ireland, Italy, Slovakia, Estonia, and Georgia.
Since Dovalil's appointment, he has prioritized giving opportunities to new players. His debut match in March resulted in a 2-0 victory over Lithuania, where 16 players received their first U21 caps. Additional debuts occurred in a June match against Austria, and several more players may debut against Germany, including Nikita Pinchuk and Kristers Volkovs.
Although Latvia's last official match was a defeat to Austria in June, they prepared for the upcoming fixture with a friendly against FK Tukums, which ended in a 4-3 loss.
In team news, Kristaps Grabovskis, who plays in Denmark, has joined the squad, though it is unclear if this is an additional call-up or a replacement for an injured player.
Predicted lineups for the match are as follows:
Germany U21 (4-3-3): Backhaus (GK) - Baum, Jeltsch, Quarshie, Rothe - Kemleim, Tohumcu, Gruda - Weiper, Ansah, El Mala
Latvia U21 (4-3-3): Stūriņš (GK) - Suško, Semeško, Mihaļcovs, Tihonovičs - Mežsargs, Patrikejevs, Ivulāns - Grabovskis, Patika, Lizunovs
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