Germany will host Italy at Signal Iduna Park in the second leg of the UEFA Nations League quarter-final on Sunday, with a spot in the semi-finals on the line.
Germany are coming into Sunday’s game vs Italy on the back of a 2-1 victory away from home in the first leg, and they will be confident of getting the job done in front of their fans and reaching the semi-finals.
Die Mannschaft are in impressive form right now, and they will be the favourites heading into this game. Julian Nagelsmann’s men are unbeaten in their last six outings across all competitions, and they have an impressive record against Italy as well. Germany are unbeaten in the last six matches against Italy, and they will be confident of getting a good result here.
Meanwhile, the defeat in the first leg will come as a major blow for the Italians and it remains to be seen whether they can bounce back strongly. They have lost their last against France and Germany. They will need to raise their performance levels to get a good result here. It remains to be seen whether they can upset the odds and turn things around in the second leg of the quarter-finals.
Team News & Tactics
Germany
Marc-Andre ter Stegen is ruled out with cruciate ligament damage, Florian Wirtz has an ankle ligament injury, and Kai Havertz has a thigh injury. Germany will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Oliver Baumann in goal.
Joshua Kimmich and Maximilian 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, Leon Goretzka and Pascal Gross will start in the double pivot. They will look to protect the back four and break down the opposition’s attacking moves. Jamal Musiala will start in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to carve out chances for his teammates in the final third.
Leroy Sane and Karim Adeyemi 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 at Signal Iduna Park on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Baumann; Kimmich, Rudiger, Schlotterbeck, Mittelstadt; Goretzka, Gross; Sane, Musiala, Adeyemi; Kleindienst
Italy
Riccardo Calafiori suffered a knee injury late on against Germany on Thursday and is likely to miss out. Mateo Retegui has a muscle injury and Andrea Cambiaso has an ankle injury.
Italy are likely to shape up in a 3-5-2 formation, with Gianluigi Donnarumma in goal.
In the back three, Giovanni Di Lorenzo will start alongside Alessandro Buongiorno and Alessandro Bastoni. In the wing-back roles, Raoul Bellanova and Destiny Udogie will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch.
In the midfield three, Samuele Ricci will start alongside Davide Frattesi and Sandro Tonali, who will add drive and defensive cover to the side in the midfield. Ricci will add control and composure to the side. Finally, Moise Kean will lead the line alongside Giacomo Raspadori.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Buongiorno, Bastoni; Bellanova, Frattesi, Ricci, Tonali, Udogie; Raspadori, Kean
Key Stats
- Germany are undefeated in their last seven matches vs Italy in all competitions.
- Germany are undefeated in their last six matches in all competitions.
- Italy have lost their last two matches in all competitions.
- 19 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
- Five of the last six meetings between these two teams have seen both sides on the score sheet.
Player to Watch
Tim Kliendienst
The 29-year-old striker is our key player to watch out for, and he will look to put on a strong performance here. Kleindienst was outstanding in the first leg, and he managed to score a goal in the 2-1 win away from home. The experienced striker has been in impressive form for Borussia Moenchengladbach this season, and he has 15 goals and five assists in the Bundesliga.
Kleindienst will look to translate that form into the international level as well, and he will look to help his side get through to the semi-finals of the competition. Italy have looked vulnerable defensively, and the 29-year-old will look to take advantage of their vulnerabilities and punish them in the final third.
Prediction
Germany 3-1 Italy
Both teams will be desperate for a good result here, and this will be a cracking contest. Neither side are expected to sit back and defend. Italy are under pressure to win this game, and they will look to take an attacking approach.
This is likely to be an open contest with a fair few chances for either side. A high scoring contest is on the cards here, but Germany should be able to grind out a comfortable victory vs Italy. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Julian Nagelsmann and his charges.
