Germany Stages Dramatic Comeback to Defeat Italy 2-1
Germany came from behind to defeat Italy 2-1 in their UEFA Nations League matchup, thanks to Joshua Kimmich's two assists and a late winner. Can Italy bounce back in the return leg?
Germany staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Italy 2-1 in the first leg of their UEFA Nations League matchup at the San Siro. The victory was fueled by Joshua Kimmich's two assists, positioning Germany as favorites to advance to the UNL semi-finals for the first time.
Italy, competing in the UNL group stage for the third consecutive time, leveraged their experience to secure an early lead. Nicolo Barella initiated the scoring play, releasing Matteo Politano, who skillfully played the ball across the area. Jonathan Tah's attempted clearance only managed to redirect the ball to Sandro Tonali, who expertly curved the ball past the German defenders and into the net.
Despite trailing, Germany maintained possession and continued to test the Italian defense. Leon Goretzka's low drive forced Gianluigi Donnarumma to make a save, but Germany's vulnerability to counterattacks persisted. Italy exploited this weakness, with Tonali and Moise Kean breaking away from the German defense, only to be thwarted by Oliver Baumann's solid saves. Ultimately, Italy's sole goal before halftime marked their only score in the past six head-to-head matches.
Italy's failure to score a second goal proved costly, as Julian Nagelsmann's halftime substitution paid off. The introduction of Tim Kleindienst yielded immediate results, as the Borussia Monchengladbach striker met Joshua Kimmich's deep cross and headed it past Gianluigi Donnarumma, scoring his third goal in five appearances for Germany.
The match became increasingly cautious after the equalizer, but Italy began to regain momentum, threatening to retake the lead. Moise Kean fired a shot over the bar, and Giacomo Raspadori was denied by Oliver Baumann's save. However, instead of reclaiming their advantage, Italy found themselves trailing 15 minutes from time.
Joshua Kimmich's inswinging corner kick took a slight deflection off Leon Goretzka and crept into the net, giving Germany a surprise lead. Italy struggled to find an equalizer in the remaining time, with several chances going awry. As a result, they now face a daunting task: winning a head-to-head matchup against Germany for the first time since 2012 on Sunday to advance.
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