Buchtmann makes Germany breakthrough

Christopher Buchtmann picked a good time to score his first international goal on Wednesday night – putting Germany ahead on their way to a 3-1 victory against Turkey in their opening game as UEFA European Under-17 Championship hosts.

Good feeling
Germany trailed early on but immediately equalised, and Buchtmann pounced on a loose ball eleven minutes into the second half to give his team the advantage in Erfurt before sending in the corner from which Shkodran Mustafi headed the clincher. "It is my first goal for Germany," Buchtmann told uefa.com. "I felt great about that."

Support
More than 5,000 people were in the Steigerwaldstadion to salute Buchtmann's goal, one of the biggest crowds for any U17 finals fixture. The midfielder certainly appreciated the support. "It was very good to play in front of so many people," he said, and added: "It is a good start to the tournament, it gives us a lot of confidence. We were very nervous at the start but we got better and better and we showed what we can do. We will do all what we can to win the tournament."

England encounter
They will be a step closer if they beat England in Jena on Saturday to confirm a semi-final berth with a game to spare, and having joined Liverpool FC from BV Borussia Dortmund last year, the fixture has special resonance for Buchtmann. "We are looking forward to playing England," he said. "I play for Liverpool, so it's great to play against them."