Wolfsburg’s Muhammed Damar reflects on spectacular Germany U21 return
A free kick beneath the wall, two efforts against the crossbar and a performance full of invention: Muhammed Damar made his Germany U21 comeback count, even as Belgium left Essen with a 2–1 friendly win.
The 22-year-old returned to Antonio Di Salvo’s starting XI on Friday evening and scored Germany’s only goal during an eventful 63 minutes. His movement, deliveries and dribbling repeatedly troubled Belgium’s defence, making him one of the home side’s brightest performers despite the defeat.
Afterward, the Wolfsburg attacker explained the instinct behind his equaliser, the significance of his celebration and why wearing Germany’s shirt means so much after an extended absence from the U21 squad.
The instinct behind the equaliser
With 25 minutes played, Damar stood over a free kick just outside Belgium’s penalty area. Instead of curling it over the wall, he rolled the ball beneath the jumping defenders. The decision, he said, came in the moment.
“It was all instinctive,” Damar told journalists. “First, I told the guys that I wanted to see how the wall was positioned so that we could agree on who would take the free kick. But I had a good feeling right from the beginning. I knew what I was doing. Then I saw how the wall was standing and thought, ‘Okay, I’ll just put it underneath.’ And it worked out pretty well.”
His celebration offered an explanation of its own. Damar pointed toward his head to acknowledge the thinking behind the finish.
“That was just meant to say, ‘Clever, you sly fox,’” he explained. “I acted cleverly and then wanted to point toward my head to show that I was thinking with my head.”
He also ran toward Germany U21 assistant coach Ovid Hajou, whose prediction earlier in the day had come true.
“Ovi is a great guy. I really like him,” Damar said. “We always practised free kicks and finishing during training sessions. Today, he told me that I would score a goal, either directly from a free kick or by setting one up. That’s why I ran over to him.”
The equaliser was only part of Damar’s threat. Another dangerous free kick in the 38th minute forced Belgian goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans to turn the ball onto the crossbar, and a further effort struck the woodwork in the 58th. For Damar, those missed opportunities weighed more heavily than the praise for his performance.
“I’m really, really annoyed about it,” he admitted. “If I’d scored that second goal, the one that hit the crossbar, the game would have looked different. It really frustrates me. But that’s football. These things happen. You have to keep going.”
He was equally unwilling to let his individual display obscure Germany’s result.
“I certainly don’t like losing,” Damar explained. “Nevertheless, I have to say that we played well, or played well for long stretches. We conceded unfortunate goals. That mustn’t happen to us, but these matches are there for us to learn. Better now than next year.”
A return that means more
The Berlin native’s return followed a difficult stretch in his club career. After a successful 2024/25 loan spell at SV Elversberg, limited Bundesliga opportunities at Hoffenheim prompted a permanent move to Wolfsburg last summer.
That switch has helped restore his confidence and attacking productivity. Improved club form brought him back into Di Salvo’s plans this month, with the Germany U21 coach having maintained contact throughout his international absence.
“I’m happy that I had a good game because I was really looking forward to it,” Damar said. “I think I’ve already said in other interviews that I’m having a tremendous amount of fun being here. I’m genuinely happy to be here.”
“I love wearing the eagle on my chest. It makes me proud.”
Muhammed Damar
EURO 2027 remains the target
Damar sees value in testing Germany against strong opposition before next summer’s European U21 Championship. Belgium could yet be an opponent at the tournament, and he believes the lessons from Essen will matter more than the friendly result.
“It’s great to have matches like these because these teams aren’t bad,” he explained. “They could even be our opponents in the group stage. It’s good to have these matches now, and if you lose them, it’s not so bad because you can learn from them. The most important thing is being ready when it really matters next year.”
