France was simply outclassed by the Germans at the U-21 EURO semifinals on Wednesday. A quick two goals from Nelson Weiper and Nick Woltemade in the first half, followed by a clincher from Brajan Gruda late, put Germany through to the finals to face England. Despite all the headlines about Germany’s offense in this tournament, the defense was equally as good, or perhaps even better in this one.
Jersey Swap: Kiliann Sildillia
The 23-year-old Sildillia plays for SC Freiburg in the Bundesliga. The French defender was a thorn in Germany’s attack all evening long, with the only real standout performance in the French XI. Sildillia made some crucial interventions and surely prevented Nick Woltemade and the German attack from further goals.
Der Kaiser: Nnamdi Collins
It seems like Nnamdi Collins (Eintracht Frankfurt) has his fair share of critics online, however, Collins has been one of the best defenders for Germany in this tournament. In this game, Collins solidified his tournament with yet another great performance. Collins was worked hard with the French attack but did an excellent job alongside the rest of the backline.
Fußballgott: Rocco Reitz
The Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder once again had a tremendous midfield performance. He was vital in all areas of the pitch, and might fall under the radar without any goal contributions. However, he could easily be MOTM again with interceptions, clearances, passes, and a near-flawless duel rate. Reitz should not be overshadowed by Woltemade and has been playing near perfect in this tournament. The man is channeling his inner-Lothar Matthäus at the moment.
Der Bomber: Nick Woltemade
Perhaps Nick Woltemade’s best move of the game came when he carved through three French defenders in the box and laid off the ball excellently to a teammate, who unfortunately, did not score. But even just by looking at the VfB Stuttgart striker’s contributions, it is pretty clear he is usually the best player on the pitch. Woltemade has now scored in every single game he has played in this tournament, and it would take an absolute miracle for him to not win the Golden Boot at this point. If Woltemade had scored his header opportunity in the 73rd minute, he would have taken his third Meister of the Match this tournament so far.
Meister of the Match: Noah Atubolu
It is very rare to see a goalkeeper given the Meister award, but Atubolu is the clear pick here. The Freiburg goalkeeper was outstanding and kept the Germans in the game, despite a fierce French attack for almost 90 minutes. Atubolu and Bayern Munich’s Jonas Urbig look poised to headline the next generation of Germany goalkeepers.
What did you think of our award selection? Who else deserves a shout? Let us know in the comments below!