Germany’s U21 squad fell to a 2-1 defeat against Belgium in Essen, marking the first loss of the year for Antonio Di Salvo’s side, as reported by Yahoo Sports.
The German lineup featured a significantly altered roster due to injuries and several players earning senior team call-ups under Jürgen Klopp.
Belgium took an early lead when Julian Duranville converted a tap-in following a precise cutback from teammate Lucas Stassin.
Germany regained momentum through midfielder Muhammed Damar, who played a central role in the team’s offensive transitions.
Damar equalized for the hosts twenty minutes before the half-time break by curling a free-kick directly under the defensive wall.
The match remained highly competitive as both teams struck the woodwork during a frantic second half of play.
Despite Germany’s persistent pressure and several promising opportunities, it was Belgium’s substitute Romeo Vermant who broke the deadlock.
Vermant scored within seconds of entering the pitch by nutmegging goalkeeper Dennis Seimen to secure the win for the visitors.
This result marks the third consecutive victory for Belgium over their German counterparts, according to the details provided in the Yahoo Sports coverage.
The defeat snaps a streak of eight successive wins for the German side throughout their recent European championship qualifying campaign.
Following the loss, Di Salvo expressed that his team struggled to maintain consistency in the final third despite creating multiple chances.
Germany’s goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans made several key saves late in the match to deny late efforts from substitutes Maurice Krattenmacher and Merit Kömür.
Debutant Louey Ben Farhat also came close to leveling the score in the final moments of the contest, but the Belgian defense held firm.
The German U21 team is scheduled to conclude their calendar year with an upcoming friendly match against Croatia in Rijeka this Tuesday.
The coaching staff intends to use the final fixture to assess depth in the squad following the recent roster challenges.