Germany defeats Italy: returnee Goretzka decides the strength test

Leon Goretzka had no longer played for Germany for sixteen months. A little football, in which quite a long time spoke for quite a long time to play a central role in the jersey of the German Football Association. And on Thursday evening in Milan it took a few attempt again, as it did not run smoothly for the team of Julian Nagelsmann in the quarter-final first leg of the Nations League against Italy.

His team newly compiled in some positions took time to find themselves. In the end, the Germans succeeded and that the Germans prevailed 2-1 after an early deficit was not so little to do with Goretzka. His muscular game symbolically stood for the German appearance in this classic, which became a strength test and the Goretzka decided in favor of the Germans.

Sandro Tonali had met for the team of Luciano Spalletti in the 9th minute, Tim Kleindienst Biled three minutes after the break and his substitution (48th), and then the two Munich Joshua Kimmich and Goretzka searched and found themselves at a corner (76th).

The 3500 German fans high up under the roof in the San Siro were the best things-it is prepared for an atmospheric second leg on Sunday in Dortmund (8:45 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Nations League and at RTL). Goalkeeper Oliver Baumann also had his share in the good starting position, who showed no weakness in a completely sovereign game and the chances of the Italians.

The day before the game, Nagelsmann was asked about his plan for the center. His answer was: “Our plan is to always play the two best.” The national coach, it was to be understood, lives and plans at the moment. In other words, momentum is everything. In any case, it explained that not only the center player Goretzka stood in the starting eleven, but also two players who had never stood in a German starting eleven. From Mainz to Milan, that meant a football life in the fast lane for Nadiem Amiri and Jonathan Burkardt.

In addition to Goretzka, Pascal Groß, who had just received so much momentum in Dortmund, that it did not blow up the principle.

Two things noticed in the initial phase: Goretzka had many ball contacts, he was the relay when Nagelsmann's team wanted to switch to attack. However, not much developed from it. The Germans had a lot of the ball at all, but they didn't seem to feel comfortable with it.

Serious work did a large and Goretzka, they tried to structure and organize in their own way, large commands, Goretzka rather let the ball speak, but spark did not make their interaction. Nothing else came in a river, not in conjunction and not through individual actions by Musiala or Sané. In short: not much matched.

That looked better for the Italians. They showed early on how to get something in motion. The starting point of the lead goal was a quick change of sides, at once they had an overnight number on the right. When Barella played the ball into the depths, space, somewhat alone from the center, found no cheap position against politano, on the flank of which Tah tried to clarify, but it became the perfect template for Tonali.

The gate didn't change the structure of the game much. The Germans kept going, but there was no speed, there was no ideas, and automatisms were missing. One or the other job attack jumped out, a header from Goretzka that landed on the net, a direct shot of the Munich from a distance, but it did not become a real threat to the Italian goal.

There was little to see from Amiri and Burkardt, the two found little bond with the game. In the 40th minute they at least knew how to use the understanding with each other, Burkardt would have been on hand at Amiri's cross from right, but di Lorenzo was still in between. Shortly before the break, Amiri took a free kick from a promising position, but the ball flew over the goal.

After all, the Italians had come close to a second goal. Again it was an attack on the right side, after a good half an hour's shot after a good half hour it took a good deed of Baumann in the goal.

At the break, Nagelsmann intervened correctly. Schlotterbeck took over the left defensive position, an obvious weak point in the German team under room, and small service now stormed for Burkardt. It didn't take long for the paid. You couldn't say that something was brewing when Kimmich had the ball on the right side. But the flank of the Munich man, as is so often the case, came to the custom work, and that small service in front of the goal was better not alone had obviously not got around up to Bastoni.

It was still not a particularly inspired football that the Germans now showed, but he now looked more stable, dynamic, dominant, and Goretzka also increasingly switched on to runs. However, there were no more chances from this, so it went into the last half hour at eye level. Nagelsmann brought Leweling for Amiri, but then it became dangerous in front of Baumann's goal. This time the Italians found the gap on the left, Tonali staged Raspadori, who came freely in front of Baumann, but the goalkeeper had his foot where the Germans needed him.

The decision was made after a corner kick, as it is often played in Munich: the ball flew rather short, towards the first post, Goretzka knew that, a few energetic steps, a sufficient touch with his head – it can be that easy. The Italians, who had all in all in all in all, still urged the equalization, but Baumann knew how to prevent the two times.