One and a half years after his last international match, Leon Goretzka gave the German national soccer team a strong starting point for the second leg against Italy.
Sandro Tonali (9th minute) took the lead for the Italians, Tim Kleindienst (48th) and Goretzka (76th) in the quarter-final first leg in Milan, which is enough for the DFB team, who is now in Dortmund after 2: 1 (0: 1) to move into the semi-finals.
Happy Goretzka: “That was very, very nice”
“Before the game, you dare to remove such a scenario every now and then. This time I did that too”said a fairly quiet Goretzka after the game at the Sportschau microphone and added: “It was very, very nice. With the national anthem it grabbed me more than I thought before.”
Goretzka certified national coach Julian Nagelsmann “Outstanding game in the offensive position”. He also sent praise to his joker. “The players who came in did it very well. “
“In the first half, the Italians were perhaps a bit better, including their body language. From the kick -off of the second half, everything turned out”Sportschau expert Bastian Schweinsteiger summarized the game.
DFB team: Goretzka, Amiri and Burkardt in starting eleven
Nagelsmann had put on two returnees in the starting eleven: Goretzka and Nadiem Amiri were both allowed in midfield from the start, Amiris Mainz teammate Jonathan Burkardt was also in the initial formation in his third A international game.
For Goretzka it was the first international match since November 2023, after which he was no longer nominated. Amiri’s last DFB mission was 1-0 over the Czech Republic in November 2020.
First faster attack – 1-0 for Italy
At the beginning, the Italians left the game control to the German team, but made the midfield of the DFB team well and lurked on their needles. The German defense actually caught a quick wing change from left back to right in the ninth minute: David Raum suddenly stood alone against two opponents and then lost the running duel against Nicolo Barella’s Matteo Politano.
Joshua Kimmich and Italy’s Destiny Udogie in a duel
Jonathan Tah was only able to clarify his flat cross in front of the goal in the middle, where Tonali had the free choice of corner and scored 1-0.
After a quarter of an hour, the DFB team also had the first noteworthy conclusion, after a cross from Joshua Kimmich from the right, Goretzka came to the header in the penalty area, but only brought the ball onto the goal. Five minutes later, the Munich returnee fired a drop kick from the edge of the penalty area, which went centrally on Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Intensive first half with Opportunities advantages for Italy
Germany’s goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, who had received the preference in front of Alexander Nübel and Stefan Ortega, was able to distinguish himself for the first time in the 30th minute when he parried a hidden spacer shot from Tonali.
Less than 60 seconds later, Moise Kean escaped in the back of Tah and Antonio Rüdiger, got the ball into the run and hammered him from right in the penalty area onto the German goal, but Baumann was good again and reacted quickly.
It was a lively and intensive game in the first 45 minutes, in which the Nagelsmann team mostly had the ball, but were the clearer chances with the hosts. Shortly before the change of sides, the DFB team had another urge phase, Burkardt narrowly missed in the middle after a flat cross (39th), Amiri’s free kick flew over the Italian goal (42nd).
Nagelsmann brings small service and he immediately strikes
For the second half, Nagelsmann Nico Schlotterbeck brought Burkardt for space and small service for the endeavor, but hardly staged. Small service was just three minutes on the pitch when Kimmich brought a flank in front of the goal from the right out of the half field.
There the Gladbach small service had a surprising amount of space and used this to place his header right next to the left posts – the 1: 1. It was a third capacity of small services in fifth use.
Germany’s Tim Kleindienst cheered his goal together with team -mate Jamal Musiala and Leon Goretzka
The DFB team was now a little more gripper in its actions and now brought the hosts into trouble early in their possession. However, many small fouls and inaccuracies on both sides ensured that the game flow in this continued intensive game was lost in the meantime.
Baumann keeps really strong – and Goretzka is rewarded
In the 67th minute, Baumann then recorded his third strong parade. When Giacomo Raspadori appeared freely in front of him to the left in the penalty area, the Hoffenheim keeper stopped for a long time and parried the flat end in the long corner with his foot. On the other hand, Goretzka headed a good distance from a difficult position in a direct return. This time.
Because in the 76th minute the strong Kimmich found his teammate from FC Bayern with his second goal in a corner ball from left. Goretzka jumped much higher on the short post than all opponents and extended the cross -drawn cross to the far corner for German leadership.
The 30-year-old rewarded himself for an extremely committed idea and collected arguments in order to be taken into account by Nagelsmann in the future. However, the German leadership would have kept for a hair for a few minutes, but Baumann steered a ball with a reflex, which afterwards, the Nagelsmann afterwards “sensational” referred to, still around the post (78th).
An overall balanced game ended thanks to a German performance increase, Baumann and two really good head balls with 2: 1 (0: 1) and the semi -finals in the Nations League are within reach.