Paris Brunner needed barely a minute to announce himself at Germany Under-21 level. The Monaco forward marked his debut with two goals in a 4-0 European Under-21 Championship qualifying win over Latvia on Saturday, offering another reminder of his sharp start to the season in France.
The move
Called into the Germany Under-21 squad for the first time, Brunner started against Latvia and struck immediately. He finished a delivery from Lukas Ullrich to put Germany ahead after one minute.
The 20-year-old added a second before the interval, curling a fine effort from the right edge of the penalty area in the 41st minute. It was a convincing first appearance for the young international side, even if it did not earn him a place in Jürgen Klopp’s senior Germany group.
Klopp selected a broad 44-man senior squad, including 16 first-time call-ups, but Brunner was not among them.
The French season around it
Brunner has nevertheless made an immediate impact for Monaco. He has scored four times in five Ligue 1 matches, giving the principality club a young forward in form as the domestic campaign develops.
His next club appearances will be delayed by a suspension arising from Monaco’s 1-1 draw with Strasbourg. Brunner made a throat-cutting gesture during that match and received a four-game ban, with two fixtures suspended.
The punishment comes into force on Tuesday. He will therefore miss Monaco’s Ligue 1 meetings with Toulouse on 10 October and Lorient on 18 October, before returning to continue a season that has already brought goals in France and an eye-catching Germany Under-21 debut.
