Malta U21 vs. Germany U21 preview: Team news and predicted lineups
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Germany U21 will face their Malta counterpart on Wednesday in their last away fixture of the qualifying campaign for the 2027 U21 Euros. Antonio Di Salvo's side currently lead the group, with only a goal difference separating them from Greece.
With the tiebreaker rule giving priority to head-to-head record, Germany will qualify to next summer's tournament in Albania and Serbia if they win their last two games of the campaign against Malta and Georgia. Greece stunned Germany in Jena on matchday 2, but goals from Said El Mala and Anton Kade in Athens changed the complexion of the group last March.
Germany added another three points on Saturday as Paris Brunner scored a first-half brace on his debut. Meanwhile, Nicoló Tresoldi, who can still represent his birth country Italy instead of Germany at senior level, extended his lead in the scoring chart with his seventh goal of the qualifying campaign.
Malta have lost all eight games so far, with Mattias Ellul scoring their only goal of the campagn in the 4-1 defeat to Georgia. Davide Mazzotta’s side conceded four goals per game, with their heaviest defeat coming in the reverse fixture in Fürth.
Tom Bischof, who scored a hat-trick in that 6-0 victory for Germany U21, will now join the senior national team after leadng Di Salvo's side as a captain one more time on Saturday. Lennart Karl is also included in Jürgen Klopp’s second squad, while the other goal scorer Muhammed Damar stays in Wolfsburg.
Meanwhile, in addition to Monaco's in-form attacker Brunner, Noah Darvich and Francis Onyeka recorded assists in their first U21 appearances in Riga. Mert Komür and Aljoscha Kemlein will compete to replace the FC Bayern midfielder in Wednesday’s starting XI.
Greece will host Latvia the following day before the final set of fixtures on October 6th. Germany entertain Georgia in Bielefeld, while Greece face Northern Ireland away from home simultaneously at the end of the group stage.
Predicted Lineups
Malta U21: Sargent; Hili, Ellul, Vassallo ©, Cross; Caruana; A. Borg, Fenech, Attard, Chukunyere; B. Borg
Germany U21: Backhaus; Baum, Quarshie, Gechter ©, Ullrich; Komür, Aseko, Darvich; Brunner, Tresoldi, Ibrahimović
