Lorenzo Pellegrini and Joshua Kimmich were on target as Italy and Germany played out an uneventful draw in their UEFA Nations League encounter.
The UEFA Nations League promises some mouthwatering clashes for fans who are happy to see top players competing at the highest level. And on Saturday, two giants of Europe, Italy and Germany, played out a 1-1 draw after Hungary had managed to beat England in their group opener. Hungary now top Group A3, with England at the bottom, while Germany and Italy occupy second and third spots, respectively.
The clash between Italy and Germany could be best described as uneventful. Both teams are in a transitional mode, and in hindsight, a draw was a result the two managers probably deserved.
Roberto Mancini made ten changes to the team that lost to Argentina recently, and those coming into the side did not bring the necessary composure. As a result, Italy often looked disjointed and gave the Germans enough room to trouble them. Serge Gnabry’s solo run validated that claim, only for Gianluigi Donnarumm to save their blushes.
Germany looked likeliest to score first in the game, as their attackers constantly troubled the Italian backline. The Azzurri attackers only had a few odd moments of quality in the final third, with Gianluca Scamacca coming closest to scoring the opener around the half-hour mark. Much to Germany’s surprise and Italy’s relief, the first period ended without a goal.
The Germans started the second period brightly but could not break down the Azzurri defence efficiently. As the game seemed to be petering out, Italy came up with the opener as Lorenzo Pellegrini was set up nicely by Wilfried Gnonto, with the Roma superstar making no mistake from five yards out.
The strike may have given Italy some hope, but Germany wouldn’t bow down, as they immediately charged down the other end, and Joshua Kimmich thundered in the equaliser. The Bayern Munich man’s strike set up a tense final 15 minutes, although nothing came of it. Here’s how the players fared in Germany’s 1-1 draw with Italy.
Italy
Gianluigi Donnarumma – 6/10
Donnarumma was called into action multiple times during both halves, although the PSG keeper did not have to stretch too much to save those efforts. Despite Germany’s dominance, the stopper remained comfortable in his position.
Alessandro Florenzi – 5.5/10
Florenzi had a big task to protect the wide areas from Leroy Sane’s threat. He did well and managed to keep the Bayern attacker quiet. However, his defensive duties did not allow him to contribute enough to the attack.
Francesco Acerbi – 6/10
Acerbi gave the German attackers plenty of space, particularly Timo Werner, who beat him for pace many times in the game. However, the veteran defender managed to curtail the impact that the Chelsea forward had on the proceedings.
Alessandro Bastoni – 6.5/10
There were some shaky moments for Bastoni, who was giving the visitors too much room behind him, and the Germans caught him high a few times. But, other than that, the Inter Milan defender was solid at the back and marshalled the defence well.
Cristiano Biraghi – 3/10
Biraghi was slaughtered by Gnabry on his flank, as the Bayern attacker was rampant in his approach against the Italy left-back. As a result, the Fiorentina man struggled at the back while contributing nothing to the attack.
Davide Frattesi – 7/10
A fantastic international debut for Frattesi, who was a bright spot for Italy in midfield. While the Sassuolo star got himself into promising positions regularly, he still lacked the final ball that could have made a telling difference.
Bryan Cristante – 4/10
A terrible outing for the Roma man, who struggled to be relevant on the pitch. German midfielders ran past him with ease and he could never get any sort of control on the proceedings.
Sandro Tonali – 7/10
Like Frattesi, Tonali was another bright player for Italy, as the duo somewhat papered over Cristante’s shortcomings. The AC Milan man kept good control of the ball and showed intelligence with his use of possession. Moreover, his defensive work was astute and often provided quality protection to his backline.
Matteo Politano – 4/10
Politano struggled to get going, as the winger barely found any space to operate. He may have been a bad selection, as he did not suit this system against a team like Germany.
Gianluca Scamacca – 7/10
Gianluca Scamacca vs Germany #NationsLeague Group Stage
Italy’s new #9 pic.twitter.com/7DTMwhSIGT— CAMPIONE D’EUROPA ??? (@StLeonardoASR) June 5, 2022
A top-level performance from Scamacca, who was often coming in deep to link-up play and put in a complete centre-forward display. He got close to scoring the opener in the first half and was a constant threat to the German defence.
Lorenzo Pellegrini – 8/10
Pellegrini was in the mood against Germany and produced one of his best performances in an Azzurri shirt. His double nutmeg on Kimmich and Leon Goretzka aside, the attacker gave Italy the lead with a well-taken finish.
Lorenzo Pellegrini with the double nutmeg for Italy vs Germany ??#NutmegofTheWeek pic.twitter.com/caGBJ12rXj
— Jerry Mancini (@jmancini8) June 4, 2022
Substitutes
Wilfried Gnonto – 7/10
Gnonto made a telling contribution with a pinpoint ball for Pellegrini to open the scoring. Other than that, he was bright enough to be considered again for this team.
Tommaso Pobega – 4/10
Pobega was one of the four late substitutions Mancini made, with the midfielder proving ineffective after coming on.
Federico Dimarco – 4/10
Dimarco was a necessary substitution for the ineffective Biraghi at left-back.
Matteo Cancellieri – N/A
A late cameo after replacing the hard-working Scamacca.
Samuele Ricci – N/A
Not much of an impact after coming on five minutes before full-time to replace Frattesi.
Germany
Manuel Neuer – 6/10
Lorenzo’s goal was the only piece of real action that Neuer faced all game, as the Italians were ineffective in testing the Bayern keeper.
Benjamin Henrichs – 6/10
Henrichs had a very active involvement in the game. His defensive work was good, and he did not have to deal with the threat of Italy full-backs, who were mostly pinned back.
Niklas Sule – 7/10
A solid game defensively from Sule, who was alert to some important counter-attacking situations, preventing them from hurting his team.
Antonio Rudiger – 7/10
Rudiger was a massive presence at the back, not only for his defensive actions but contributing to other aspects such as passing and maintaining the line. He was instrumental in keeping Scamacca quiet and did not shy away from the physical battle with the Sassuolo man.
Thilo Kehrer – 5.5/10
Like the Italian full-backs, Kehrer was often seen behind his marker and maintained a defensive position rather than venturing forward to attack the ball.
Joshua Kimmich – 8/10
Joshua Kimmich #ITAGER pic.twitter.com/XqPYXWnO4e
— LGF PHOTOS (@lgfphotos_) June 5, 2022
Kimmich was enormous in whatever Germany did on the pitch. He controlled the game’s tempo and dictated proceedings from his midfield position. He also proved his worth in the attacking third by netting the vital equaliser.
Leon Goretzka – 4/10
While Kimmich was the star man in midfield, Goretzka failed to complement his teammate. He also had a great chance to score, but his sloppy finishing let him down in a big way.
Serge Gnabry – 8/10
Gnabry was one of Germany’s best players alongside Kimmich, as he constantly threatened with his pace and directness. He caused Biraghi all sorts of problems and also showed his precision with some neat passing.
Thomas Muller – 5/10
A somewhat quiet game for Muller, who was surprisingly ineffective. There was nothing wrong with his performance, but he often failed to find the opening to create a dangerous chance.
Leroy Sane – 4/10
While Gnabry was creating havoc on the right side, Sane was equally disappointed on the opposite flank. The Bayern star never got going against Florenzi and failed to offer much in the final third.
Timo Werner – 5/10
Werner’s woes in front of the goal position continued, as the Chelsea forward was again ineffective. He worked hard for the team but failed to make a sustaining impact on the proceedings.
Substitutes
Jamal Musiala – 6/10
Musiala provided a bright spark in attack after replacing the ineffective Sane.
Jonas Hofmann – 6/10
Hoffmann got involved well since coming on and played a role in the equalising goal.
Kai Havertz – 7/10
Havertz replaced Muller, providing some much-needed change in the approach-play, and was a good presence in the final third.
David Raum – N/A
Not much of an impact after coming on and replacing Gnabry.
