Bayern Munich’s Tom Bischof, Lennart Karl combine for five goals in Germany U-21’s 6-0 rout of Malta

Germany’s U-21s hosted Malta’s U-21s in a crucial U-21 EUROs qualification match. This was Germany’s fourth game in a difficult qualification campaign for next year’s championship and the pressure was on, given the Germans had lost their last home game 3-2 against Greece and were stuck on just six points after three matches.

Given that Greece had also played their match before Germany’s and maintained a perfect record with 12 points, the gap to the top spot was six points ahead of this match and Germany were languishing in 4th in the table. Germany had to win. Malta were a welcome visitors in that regard, with a negative 12 goal difference and 0 points after 3 games. Still, Malta packed the box with 11 men and barred Germany from getting good chances early.

This defensive approach would not take long to bite them, when a short corner in the 9th minute saw Bayern Munich midfielder Tom Bischof dribble away from his defender, see that every Malta player had backed away into the box and just let one rip. The shot completely wrong footed the goalkeeper and the ball zipped into the near post. With Bischof’s first goal for the U-21s, the deadlock had been broken and the floodgates should have opened fully.

But…it would not happen yet, though it was not for a lack of trying. Germany managed to get in behind Malta’s full-backs time and time again, lift a cross into the box and the flood the opposition box with forwards. Again and again, this led to massive chances. Forward Ilyas Ansah mishit a golden opportunity, center forward Nicolò Tresoldi should have had at least a hat trick, Mert Kömür dribbled brilliantly past multiple opponents and the goalkeeper only for one more defender to just deflect the shot wide. A lot of credit must be given to Malta goalkeeper Karl Sargent for multiple stunning saves, which made it seem as if Germany simply could not break through again. Any doubts about how he dealt with Bischof’s goal were erased as he kept Malta in the game. Debutant Lennart Karl also missed multiple golden opportunities, but he would make up for the misses.

A rare foray through the middle of of the pitch in the 37th minute saw Aljoscha Kemlein stick the ball through to Karl in the penalty area, who made his control of the bouncing ball look easy with one touch before clinically bending the ball into the back of the net. That would give Germany a 2-0 lead as they went into halftime.

After that, it become the Tom Bischof show. He had already run the match, clinically circulating the ball around and spraying passes all around the field as if it was as easy as breathing. He had also made a few mistakes that gave Malta opportunities to break, but those were quickly forgotten as Bischof sealed a stunning hat trick consisting of strikes from long range.

Both strikes were very, very similar. Bischof received the ball from outside of the box, was not given enough pressure as Malta preferred to defend closer to the box and let one rip. He fooled the goalkeeper to shoot into the near post for his second but completed the hat trick by bending it into the far post. As much as one may critique the goalkeeper or the defense for making it a little too easy for the Bayern midfielder, no credit should be taken away from Bischof’s incredible technique and shot power that made the goals possible.

And just to complete Bayern-inspired goal fest, Karl scored a screamer of his own. In a very Robben-esque fashion, he received the ball on the right, cut inside, found the right moment to shoot at the edge of the box and sensationally bent the ball into the far post.

Things did not get easier for Malta, either, as Germany’s substitutes entered the field. Standout names were Arijon Ibrahimović and Nelson Weiper, who are current regulars in the Bundesliga. How can you have such an embarrassment of riches as a U-21 team? But they were not the only substitutes of quality, as Muhammed Damar proved. He and Weiper combined on the left to send the former running towards goal, where Damar decided against passing, managed to put the ball on to his stronger right foot and finished from an angle.

That would give Germany the 6-0 lead, which they would keep until full-time. Not only were the three points crucial in the quest to keep up with Greece and launch them back into 2nd place, but the game helped Germany achieve a +11 goal differential, enough to top Greece’s +10. Germany’s U-21s are not giving up the hunt for 1st place yet.