Joshua Kimmich earns Germany draw against Italy in UEFA Nations League
Germany responded quickly to going behind to Lorenzo Pellegrini's second-half effort for Italy, with Bayern Munich's Joshua Kimmich in the right place at the right time to fire the visitors to a UEFA Nations League point in Bologna.
Both sides were looking to make the perfect start to their Nations League Group A3 challenge at the Renato Dall'Ara stadium. Germany hadn't won on Italian soil since a 2-1 friendly victory back in 1986, but Hansi Flick's men did boast a four-game unbeaten run against the Azzurri that dated back to 2012. The visitors showed plenty of intent to add to that sequence in the opening stages, with Thomas Müller, Leon Goretzka and Serge Gnabry all menacing. For their part, Italy made 10 changes to the team that lost 3-0 to Argentina for the Finalissima trophy on Wednesday. Forward Gianluca Scamacca was one of the new faces in the home set-up and the Sassuolo man went closest to opening the scoring in the opening half with a low shot that clipped the outside of Manuel Neuer's post.
Picking up from where they left off before the break, Italy maintained the pressure at the start of the second half and should have edged in front when a cross from the right arrived to Scamacca who had the goal at his mercy. To Germany's relief, however, the striker's header angled wide of the upright. Roberto Mancini's side maintained their high tempo and would later put that miss behind them with Pellegrini taking full advantage of substitute Wilfried Gnonto's excellent cross to divert in for 1-0. The lead would be short lived, though. The four-time World Champions got on the attack immediately and when Jonas Hofmann's cross from the right struck Timo Werner, Kimmich was alert to smash the loose ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma for the game's equaliser.
Match stats
Kimmich brought his international goals tally up to four in 65 senior appearances.
Germany are undefeated in five meetings with Italy, stretching back to their UEFA Euro 2012 semi-final, which the Italians edged 2-1.
Müller is the most-capped player in Germany's squad with 113. He had three goals and three assists in FIFA World Cup qualifying.
Teenager Jamal Musiala won his 12th senior Germany cap.
Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann is the only uncapped player in Flick's 26-man ensemble.
UEFA European Championship Matchday 1 Matchday 1 Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna
90'
+ 5
HONOURS EVEN
That's it! Game over in Bologna where Italy and Germany play out a 1-1 draw in their opening Nations League encounter. Pellegrini opened the scoring for the hosts in the 70th minute but Bayern Munich's Kimmich slammed home an equaliser soon afterwards as Hansi Flick's men picked up a point.
The game has slowed considerably since the goals, with a host of substitutions and fouls failing to aid with the flow of the contest. Are we headed for a draw here?
A superb build up by Germany sees Müller feed Goretzka who in turn picks out Musiala on the right. The Bayern Munich attacker just fails to make proper contact and scuffs wide. Pity.
66'
TONALI YELLOW
Tonali pulls down Gnabry, who was in full flight. The Italy midfielder goes into the book.
Politano this time works room for himself on the right before shaping to shoot and unleashing a left-footed effort that fizzes over the crossbar.
52'
OVERHEAD KICK
Pellegrini tees up his teammate Scamacca who has his back to goal. No problem for the forward who flicks the ball up and goes for the overhead kick. Neuer saves, gratefully holding onto the ball.
Scamacca is proving a bit of a handful for Germany. The Italian attacker feeds a cute pass in for Tonali who just fails to get there ahead of Neuer.
47'
SCAMACCA'S BIG MISS
The ball is crossed into the Germany area and hangs perfectly for Scamacca, who somehow heads off target when wonderfully placed. That was a let off for Germany.
46'
GAME (BACK) ON !
The second half is underway in Bologna ...
45'
HALF TIME
We head into the break with the teams level. No goals, but plenty of incident here in Bologna in this Nations League encounter.
43'
BREAK APPROACHING
Germany are playing a bit of keep ball as we enter the closing stages of what has been a highly entertaining first half.
38'
GNABRY OFF TARGET
A touch of pinball enabled by Goretzka and Werner and the ball is chested into the path of Gnabry, who smashes over the crossbar. That was an excellent chance for Germany.
37'
AZZURRI AGAIN
Frattesi blasts over when well positioned. Time for Germany to go on the attack ...
33'
POST FOR ITALY
This is an intriguing encounter, no doubt. Just when it looks like Germany are back in the ascendency, Italy go down the other end and hit the post. Scamacca's shot from outside the area beats Neuer but clips the outsise of the upright.
31'
WERNER DANGER
Werner is lathered in sweat and is continuing to put in a shift here as he chases anything and everything up front for Germany. The 26-year-old is unlucky with his latest attempt to create danger, the ball just nipping out of play.
FINELY BALANCED
Germany are bossing the possession stats, the visitors having had 66% of the ball. Italy lead in terms of attempts, however, with Mancini's men boasting five to Germany's one.
Germany hit back. Timo Werner gets to the byline and cuts a superb pass all the way back into the path of Müller, whose low drive is blocked out.
23'
AZZURRI ON THE UP
Roberto Mancini's men have certainly grown more into this game as the half has progressed. Still no clear cut chances for the hosts but Germany need to be wary of their opponents who have their tails up right now.
18'
ASSURED SÜLE
Superb work from Süle to slide in and deny Lorenzo Pellegrini inside the Germany area. The assistant's flag is subsequently raised, but that shouldn't take away from the intense focus and tracking from the future Borussia Dortmund defender.
14'
SANE HAS A POP
Some lovely work from Sane here, the Germany No.10 jinking in from the right, beating a couple of men and then drawing a save from Donnarumma.
12'
GORETZKA GLIMPSE
The Bayern Munich man has the ball at his feet on the penalty spot and looks to be about to shoot when Bastoni gets in to clear the danger.
9'
SCAMACCA SCHEMING
Scamacca breaks down the left, gets into the Germany area and drills a shot across Neuer and narrowly wide of the far post. The assistant raises his flag for an offside in the buildup to that move.
5'
SANE SET-PIECES
A couple of corners in quick succession taken by Sane come to nothing. Müller then loops a header at the target which Donnarumma claims easily.
3'
VISITORS DOMINATING
It's all Germany in these opening stages with Hansi Flick's men camped in the Italian final third and passing it around nicely. Thomas Müller has been looking particularly menacing for the visitors.
1'
PEEEEEEEEEP!
Kick off! The action is underway between these two international powerhouses.
HERE COME THE TEAMS !
Both sides head for the pitch amid a terrific atmosphere. We're all set for the anthems ....
LATEST STANDINGS
A quick glance at the Nations League Group A3 table sees Hungary on top after their 1-0 win against England earlier. RB Leipzig's Dominik Szoboszlai scored the only goal of that game from the penalty spot. After this evening's encounter in Italy, Germany are scheduled to host England in Munich on Tuesday. But ... let's not get ahead of ourselves.
GERMANY'S LONG WAIT
The teams are out in the pitch going through their respective warm-ups as the atmosphere builds at the Renato Dall'Ara stadium. Interestingly, Germany's last win against Italy on Italian soil came back in 1986, in a 2-1 friendly triumph. That should represent even more incentive for Hansi Flick's men as they go in search of three Nations League points in Bologna.
GNABRY IN NUMBERS
Gnabry was the highest-scoring German national in the 2021/22 Bundesliga, with 14 goals. He's also Germany's top scorer of the post-2018 World Cup cycle with 17 goals in 29 matches.
Germany are unbeaten in their last four meetings with Italy, stretching back to their UEFA Euro 2012 semi-final, which the Italians edged 2-1. That run includes three friendly draws and a Euro 2016 quarter-final tie that Die Mannschaft won on penalties. Today's meeting is their first in almost six years.
MORE ON THOSE TEAMS
As well as Manuel Neuer in goal, it's a five-man Bayern Munich bridge between defence and attack. RB Leipzig's Benjamin Henrichs, who mainly operated at right-back this season, starts on the left-hand side of Flick's back four. As for Italy, Mancini hands a senior international debut to Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi, but left-back Leonardo Spinazzola misses out.
... Italy: "Roberto Mancini is heading up a new generation and has a very large squad at his disposal, with several young and hungry players. We all enjoyed watching his team at the EUROs. The way they played was very impressive. It was a surprise they missed out on the World Cup, but Roberto Mancini has done a fantastic job and has the quality, class and passion to take Italy back to where they once were."
... THE NATIONS LEAGUE
"We want to continue developing down a path that takes us towards where Germany should be: among the best in the world. We don’t know how these four games will go, but we obviously want to win and are well prepared. It will be important for us to analyse those four game afterwards in order to see what we can improve on."
TO GNABRY OR NOT TO GNABRY?
With the exception of Marco Reus, Flick has a full squad of players at his disposal. Serge Gnabry was the team's chief goal threat in World Cup qualifying and Bayern's second best goalscorer in 2021/22, but may have to settle for a place on the bench.
THE OPPOSITION
Italy are the reigning European champions, but are undergoing something of a rebuild after failing to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Roberto Mancini's side also lost the Finalissima to Copa America winners Argentina earlier this week.
KIMMICH FAVOURS COMPETITIVE NATURE OF UNL
"These games are special because they are not friendlies," explained Bayern and Germany midfielder Joshua Kimmich, a player famed for his competitive edge. "I think it's better when it's about something like the Nations League, so we can see where we stand. We can show what we can do."
TOUGH GROUP
England and Hungary complete Group A3. Germany are at home to England on 7 June, and travel to Hungary on 11 June. They finished third in their group in 2018, and second two years ago, but have yet to reach the knockouts. Italy were beaten semi-finalists in the 2020 edition.
THE FLICK ERA
Flick kicked off his tenure with eight straight wins, before being held to a draw by the Netherlands in a March friendly. Germany have scored 34 and conceded three goals on the former Bayern coach's watch.
WELCOME!
Germany are away to Italy in their UEFA Nations League Group A3 opener - can they maintain their unbeaten start under Hansi Flick?
