Italy will host Germany in the first leg of the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals at San Siro on Thursday, hoping to inch closer to a spot in the semi-finals.
This is a two-legged tie and Italy will look to pick up a favourable result at home vs Germany in the first leg at San Siro. On the other hand, Germany have been quite impressive in their last few matches, and they will certainly be confident of grinding out a positive result away from home. They will look to get the job done at home later.
Both teams have exceptional quality at their disposal, and this should be a cracking contest. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top here. Italy have struggled in their recent outings, especially in the 3-1 defeat to France, and it remains to be seen whether they can step up their performance levels and get the job done here.
The Azzurri have shown a lot of improvement since their early exit from UEFA Euro 2024, and they lost only one of their six Group A2 games. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at hte encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Italy
Mateo Retegui has pulled out of the group after sustaining a hamstring injury. Other than that, Luciano Spalletti has a fully fit squad to choose from, although Nicolo Savona, Manuel Locatelli, and Federico Dimarco are notable absentees due to various reasons.
Italy are set to shape up in a 3-5-2 formation vs Germany, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal. In the back three, Giovanni Di Lorenzo will start alongside Riccardo Calafiori and Alessandro Bastoni. In the wing-back roles, Andrea Cambiaso and Destiny Udogie will look to keep things tight defensively and hit Germany on the break.
As for the midfield unit, Davide Frattesi and Sandro Tonali will add drive and defensive cover to the side in the midfield. Samuele Ricci will also start alongside them and he will add control and composure to the side. Finally, Moise Kean will form the strike partnership Giacomo Raspadori.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Calafiori, Bastoni; Cambiaso, Frattesi, Ricci, Tonali, Udogie; Raspadori, Kean
Germany
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Florian Wirtz, and Kai Havertz are notable absentees for the away side heading into the latest international break. Germany will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Italy, with Oliver Baumann in goal.
Joshua Kimmich and Max Mittelstadt will start as the full-backs here and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Antonio Rudiger will start alongside Nico Schlotterbeck at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Robert Andrich and Pascal Gross will pair up in the double pivot. They will look to protect the back four and break down the opposition’s attacking moves.
Deniz Undav will reprise the no. 10 role in the absence of Wirtz. He will look to link the midfield with the attack and carve out chances for his teammates in the final third. Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala will start on the flanks. They will look to add pace, flair and goals from the wide areas. Finally, Tim Kleindienst will lead the line for Germany vs Italy on Thursday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Baumann; Kimmich, Rudiger, Schlotterbeck, Mittelstadt; Andrich, Gross; Sane, Undav, Musiala; Kleindienst
Key Stats
- Italy have drawn their last three home matches vs Germany in all competitions.
- Italy have seen under 2.5 goals in their last three home matches against Germany in all competitions.
- 18 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two sides.
- Italy are unbeaten in five of their last six outings.
- Germany are unbeaten in their last six outings.
Player to Watch
Moise Kean
The 25-year-old striker has been in sensational form this season, and he has contributed to 23 goals for Fiorentina across all competitions. Italy will depend on him to find the back of the net here and make the difference in the final third.
Germany have a solid defensive unit, and it will be interesting to see if the Fiorentina striker can step up and get the job done. Kean will look to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates and find the back of the net as well.
Prediction
Italy 1-1 Germany
Both teams will be desperate for a victory here, and this is likely to be a close contest. On paper, these two sides are quite formidable, and it will be difficult to separate them. Italy and Germany could end up cancelling each other out and sharing the spoils here. They are likely to get on the scoresheet but a stalemate is quite likely. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw.
