Germany U21 Player Ratings | Muhammed Damar shines in 1-2 defeat against Belgium

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In their first of two friendlies during the November 2026 international break, Antonio Di Salvo’s Germany U21 side delivered a mixed performance in front of just over 10,000 fans at the Stadion an der Hafenstraße. In spite of some noteworthy performances from several individual players, an all-too-vulnerable DFB defensive unit conceded two goals and slid to a 1-2 defeat. Get German Football News‘ coverage of the match and individual player ratings highlights the uneven nature of the match. The result marked Germany’s first defeat since a 3-2 loss to Greece in October 2025.

Two new faces amid changes for Germany

Di Salvo ended up making five changes to the last XI he utilized against Georgia in the final UEFA U21 European qualification match back in October. With left back Lukas Ullrich of Borussia Mönchengladbach unavailable due to injury, former Germany senior team call-up Hennes Behrens of Augsburg earned his first U21 start in his first cap for Germany at the highest youth level. Intriguing Hoffenheim prospect Cajetan Lenz also ended up earning his first start in his first U21 cap, replacing Union Berlin’s Aljoscha Kemlein in midfield.

Attackers Noah Darvich (Elversberg) and Nicolo Tresoldi (Club Brugge) also forfeited their squad spots to newly recalled Muhammed Damar (Wolfsburg) and Anton Kade (Augsburg). Di Salvo compensated for the most unwelcome late loss of Tresoldi by deploying former Germany U17 World Champion Paris Brunner up front and having Damar take Brunner’s place on the left wing. Stuttgart’s Dennis Seimen started in goal after Freiburg’s Mio Backhaus incurred a hand injury in training. As expected, Joshua Quarshie snapped on the captain’s armband in Tresoldi’s absence.

Di Salvo’s team falls behind early

The German hosts regrettably weren’t able to capitalize on some early opportunities. A free-kick from Damar in the 2nd minute landed with Kade, but the FCA man found himself blocked from close range. Brunner and Behrens also had shooting opportunities inside the opening five minutes, yet couldn’t manage to finish convincingly. As the newly retooled German midfield of Lenz and Noël Aséko began to push high in open play, Di Salvo’s youngsters looked increasingly vulnerable on the counter. Unfortunately, they would be punished in short order.

Former Borussia Dortmund attacker Julien Duranville wasn’t able to locate the back of the net on his first counter charge. Duranville would nevertheless earn credit for the 0-1 in the 8th minute. The BVB exile appeared determined to crash into the box early. Teammate Lucas Stassin hit Duranville with a sharp cutback after beating SGE defender Nnamdi Collins in an individual duel. A small contingent of Germany supporters in the standing bleachers behind the goal whistled down Duranville hard when the 20-year-old marked his return to the Ruhr with an extra celebratory flourish.

Germany furnish a strong response

There were some instances during which the guests threatened to double their advantage. The next phase nonetheless mostly belonged to the DFB-Jungs. Lenz, Damar, and Behrens led several useful charges down the left-hand side. Damar, rotating regularly, also managed to make his presence felt on the right. Pejcinovic and Brunner sometimes pushed together up front as Di Salvo’s men attacked in an occasional 4-4-2. The joy in the football was evident, though clear-cut chances were still not being engineered.

Damar finally received another chance off a dead ball in the 25th minute after Brunner drew a foul outside the box. The former Hoffenheim and Elversberg man cleverly snuck the ball in underneath the leaping Belgian wall for his fourth tally in a U21 shirt. After the 1-1, Damar proved himself hungry for more. The Berlin native forced a save out of Belgian keeper Lucca Brughmans in the 28th, burst into the box on a long dribble at the half-hour mark, and earned a free-kick in a dangerous area in the 37th.

Once again taking the set piece himself in the 38th, Damar forced Brughmans to tip the ball off the crossbar.

DFB-XI continue to live dangerously

As the opening half drew to a close, the Germans were once again unrelenting in their attempts to secure another goal. This led to some unfortunate turnovers in possession and close calls on the counter. Damar actually showed himself to be mortal in possession twice before the first 45 was out. A Collins passing error in the 44th nearly led to the hosts heading into the locker room trailing. Only the left post denied Stassin the 1-2 shortly before it was time to head into the tunnel. Di Salvo’s team appeared less inclined to take risks after the break.

Damar shakes the team out of a lull

A much more defensively stable DFB side didn’t produce much in the first ten minutes after the restart, despite some strong play down the right involving Elias Baum and Kade. Damar could be audibly heard directing his teammates from the press box as the stadium quieted during the prolonged lull. It would be Damar himself who shook the team out of its torpor with a strike of the crossbar in the 58th minute. Some two minutes later, Kade came close with a header after a nice passing sequence involving Damar and Brunner.

Belgium re-take the lead

Damar exited the match alongside teammates Aséko and Kade on a triple substitution in the 63rd minute. Belgian U21 coach Gill Swerts employed his own triple change one minute later. With so many new actors on the pitch, the Germans were unfortunately caught off guard on the transition. Stassin played the role of provider again in the 65th minute, setting up the freshly subbed-on Romeo Vermant with a cross from the left. Vermant finished flatly from six meters out centrally. It took some time for the DFB ranks to re-settle.

Hosts get back on the front foot

Once German subs Mert Kömür and Maurice Krattenmacher were able to settle in, Di Salvo’s team were once again able to engineer some decent chances. Brunner attempted the spectacular with an overhead finish of a fine Kömür cross in the 71st. One minute later, Brunner put an effort on target following a high recovery from Krattenmacher. Brunner showcased some fancy footwork within the box on subsequent charges, still failing to find the right finish with his final touch. The Monaco professional struck the side-netting in the 73rd.

Kömür (74th and 81st) tested the Belgian keeper twice. On his U21 debut, new Freiburg signing Louey Ben Farhat struck the post on a scintillating effort from 16 meters out in the 84th. To their credit, the Germans were able to keep matters interesting until the full-time whistle. A near miss from Collins in the 90th and two promising free-kicks in second-half injury time kept the crowd on its toes. The equalizer nevertheless didn’t come and the match concluded with the guests one goal ahead.

Germany U21 Player Ratings

Dennis Seimen (4) – Elias Baum (5), Nnamdi Collins (3), Joshua Quarshie (4), Hennes Behrens (6) – Cajetan Lenz (7), Noël Aséko (7) – Anton Kade (6), Dzenan Pejcinovic (4), Muhammed Damar (9) – Paris Brunner (8)

Substitutes: Laurin Ulrich (5), Maurice Krattenmacher (6), Mert Kömür (7), Leandro Morgalla (6), Louey Ben Farhat (6), Tom Rothe (5), Max Moerstedt (5)

GGFN Germany U21 Player of the Match: Muhammed Damar (9)

The returning Wolfsburg attacker covered virtually every blade of grass on the pitch during his 63 minutes of action. Starting on the left wing, Damar frequently rotated across the attacking line, made himself available in central areas, and assumed responsibility for the German attack whenever his teammates struggled to find a way forward. His clever free-kick equalizer and persistent threat from dead-ball situations were the most obvious highlights, but his tireless running, determination in possession, and vocal leadership from the front were equally impressive.

Damar’s performance was not the only encouraging individual display in an otherwise disappointing German defeat. Paris Brunner (8) repeatedly threatened the Belgian defence with his movement, technical skill, and willingness to attempt the spectacular, even if his finishing ultimately let him down. Central midfielders Cajetan Lenz (7) and Noël Aséko (7) also impressed with their energetic contributions, while substitute Mert Kömür (7) helped inject fresh impetus into the German attack during the closing stages.

Nevertheless, Damar stood apart as the most influential player on the pitch. His return to the U21 national team after a year-long absence could scarcely have produced a more convincing individual performance, even if the team’s defensive shortcomings ultimately ensured that his efforts went unrewarded.

GGFN | Peter Weis