Germany are no strangers to the business end of this competition, having earned their place in the final in three of the previous four Euro U21 editions - and it didn’t take very long for them to break through in Kosice.
Thinking they had gotten away with one after Paul Nebel’s effort hit the underside of the crossbar, France hadn’t counted on the fact that the instinctive figure of Nelson Weiper was lurking in the six-yard area, ready to volley the ball into an unguarded net.
Antonio Di Salvo’s side needed only six more minutes to make it 2-0, with the tournament’s top scorer, Nick Woltemade, netting his sixth goal at the second time of asking, after Guillaume Restes had blocked the striker’s initial one-on-one strike.
Despite having a mountain to climb, France rallied well, with Djaoui Cisse and Wilson Odobert forcing Noah Atubolu into fine saves.
The temporary one-way traffic continued to flow towards Atubolu’s goal as half-time approached, and Matthis Abline fired in an effort that ended up only a few inches away from the top corner.
In an attempt to continue France’s attacking impetus following the restart, manager Gerald Baticle introduced Thierno Barry into the mix because of an injury to Abline.
That substitution almost immediately came to fruition, as the striker forced Atubolu into an instinctive stop. France’s frustration reared its ugly head again as the contest closed in on the final 20 minutes, with Barry seeing his close-range header somehow kept out by an inspired Atubolu.
Woltemade should have put any lingering German doubts to bed not long after Atubolu’s stunning save, but uncustomarily headed wide despite there not being a defender in sight.
Less than 60 seconds had passed before Merlin Rohl fired straight at Restes as the game showed no signs of concluding quietly.
A succession of French corners late on might have set up a grandstand finish - including a Barry header that hit the post - but Germany held firm to confirm their place in Saturday’s final, with a Brajan Gruda tap-in from Paul Wanner’s squared ball during stoppage time adding extra gloss to their triumph.
Another appearance in the showcase piece of the UEFA U21 European Championships reignites the classic rivalry between England and Germany in Bratislava.
Looking back at previous meetings between the two footballing superpowers, the Germans triumphed in the group stages (2-1), but the Young Lions have won the previous two, creating a compelling debate ahead of the final.
Meanwhile, France’s wait to become tournament finalists again will wait at least another two years, with Les Espoirs’ absence from potential U21 glory now extending to 25 years.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Noah Atubolu (Germany)