Nations League: After 39 years, the DFB team wins again in Italy

Advantage Germany. Superjoker Tim Kleindienst and the strong returnee Leon Goretzka have opened the door to the final tournament of the Nations League against the national team against fear opponents. The Gladbach center forward (49th minute) and the midfield worker Goretzka (76.) brought back by national coach Julian Nagelsmann provided the 2-1 (0: 1) with their header in the quarter-final first leg.

After a clear increase in performance and successful personnel corrections from Nagelsmann for the break, the DFB team goes into the decisive second game on Sunday (8.45 p.m./RTL) in the atmospheric Dortmund stadium.

A big backing in the first German away win in Italy After 39 years was also the goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, which lasted several times – even if the Hoffenheimer was first overcome in the third international match by Sandro Tonali (9th).

Almost nine months after the bitter EM-KO against Spain, it initially looked anything but good for the DFB team in front of 60,334 spectators in the Giuseppe-Mazza Stadium. Without the offensive trump cards Florian Wirtz, Kai Havertz and Niclas Füllkrug, the punch was initially missing in the forward gear. Bayern star Jamal Musiala was overwhelmed as a lone fighter. At the back, the Leipzig David area was a weak point. Then there was a small service, scored – and Goretzka followed. Both times captain Joshua Kimmich was the flanken.

Nagelsmann put fully on the shape of the factor in the famous football hexetery. The Goretzka, which was heavily in the Bundesliga, was just as much in the starting eleven after a long DFB abstinence, as was the duo Nadiem Amiri and Jonathan Burkardt, which leads FSV Mainz 05 towards Champions League.

The trio then got a sense of the huge rivalry between Italy and Germany before the kick -off and the force that the huge block of concrete in the west of Milan can develop. Italy’s fans whistled so loudly into the German national anthem that the stadium line quickly regulated the volume.

The 3500 supporters from Germany returned to the Italian hymn. “If you come in here, you feel that big games have taken place here,” said ex-world champion Bastian Schweinsteiger at the ARD microphone about the myth of San Siro.

On the lawn, the DFB team initially checked the ball. But before the offensive around the pale Bayern star Musiala managed a first campaign, the host was already mercilessly struck. Foreign coaster Matteo Politano used a positional error of the driving room and started over the right to the baseline. Jonathan Tah was only insufficiently clarified, which was able to shoot Tonali unexpectedly to lead.

For Baumann it was the first goal in the national jersey after 189 minutes of white vest. However, he did not have his own shares. On the contrary: Nagelsmann and the DFB defensive had to thanks the goalkeeper that it stayed with just one goal in the 45 minutes until the break.

Again goal scorer Tonali (30th) and the Agile Moise Kean (32nd) had the 2-0 on the foot in their tight degrees, but failed due to the strongly reacting. The German team had too big gaps on the left defensive side and in the defensive midfield. And Italy made what it can do best: set dangerous pinpricks from a compact and well -stocked five -chain.

While every Italian action looked targeted, comebackers Goretzka was primarily present in Germany’s offensive. The 30-year-old put a header on the Tornetz (16th) and later completed a rich drop kick (20th). Before the kick-off, Nagelsmann reported on a longer conversation with the professional that he had not taken into account for the home European Championship last year.

“Our conversation was very factual, we talked about the summer and found a common denominator. Now we are attacking again,” said Nagelsmann. Goretzka, who, according to Nagelsmann, is none for the second row, felt completely comfortable when he returned in the front row. And became a match winner with his header after a corner.

After 45 minutes, Nagelsmann had made two changes-and he was just as right as it was with his Goretzka recovering campaign. Small service and Nico Schlotterbeck replaced the susceptible room and the unobtrusive Burkardt. And the change paid off directly. With his first campaign, small service demonstrated its great strength and headed precisely past Donnarumma to equalize – Kimmich had precisely filled in the middle.

Small service was not only valuable as a scorer, but also as a tireless football worker. With Schlotterbeck instead of space, the DFB game not only looked more stable, but also more flexible. Captain Kimmich kept moving forward and cranked the offensive game.

Baumann, who was also one of the strongest Germans, earned in the two halves in both halves and, among other things, gave Giacomo Raspadori (67th) with strong foot defense. While the German supporters sang and cheered in added time, Italy’s fans left the stadium in droves before the final whistle.