Nations League – Germany vs. Italy: Hardening test with obstacles

Rudi Völler is known for not taking a leaf in front of her mouth. The sports director of the German Football Association (DFB) sounded accordingly clearly on Tuesday when the national team arrived at the team quarters in Dortmund. When he was asked about the upcoming Nation League quarter-final against Italy, Völler said: »This is a football classic, not a normal game. It is about a lot. ”Words that should prove how important the first duel in international 2025 is for the team of national coach Julian Nagelsmann.

When the DFB team competes in Milan this Thursday in the time-honored Giuseppe-Mazza Stadium and welcomes the Italians to the second leg in Dortmund on Sunday, a lot is at stake. This is not least due to the fact that Völler and Nagelsmann have proclaimed the Nations League to the indicator for German football. In the UEFA nation competition, the German kickers should show how far they are on their way to the favorite status for the World Cup in the coming year in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Ideally, Nagelsmann wants to do the same to the Spaniards, who also won the Nations League on the way to the European Championship title last summer. A German success as the cornerstone for the desired World Cup win 2026.

Weakened world-class offensive

So far everything has run according to plan. As a sovereign group winner, the DFB team qualified for the quarter-finals. But of all people before the hardest test against the Squadra Azzurra, some problems have to be solved. Without the injured Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz, only Jamal Musiala left the German world-class offensive left over which Nagelsmann actually built up his entire team. In the last international play window in November, the noble technician trio conjured up at 7-0 against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Now the national coach has to exchange two thirds of his offensive series of three.

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For this, the 37-year-old can either rely on shape strength or international experience. While the Mainz Jonathan Burkardt and Nadiem Amiri as well as Gladbach’s wall striker Tim Kleinderdust recently performed strong performances in the Bundesliga, the Leroy Sané and Deniz Undav, who are also nominated, embody even more international class. However, neither of them plays at their top level. So it is quite possible that the national coach on the offensive against Italy ensures a surprise. “You have to have respect with such an opponent, but I think we don’t need to be afraid. We want to win both games, ”said the Mainz Amiri when he returned to the national team after more than four years of break, it was aggressive and entirely on a wavelength with the title claims of his national coach.

A returnee with a lot of experience

There is also an exciting personnel decision behind the offensive positions. With Bavaria’s Leon Goretzka, Nagelsmann brought back a former top team to the national team who, despite his one and a half years of abstinence, played the fourth caps in the current DFB squad. The 30-year-old fought his way back from the siding from the record champions and is currently significantly better in shape than the midfield duo Robert Andrich and Pascal, which has been preferred by Nagelsmann since Nagelsmann’s European Championship. If Goretzka is used and convinced against Italy, the hierarchy in the German control center could change quickly.

In contrast, everything in the defense seems to stay the same for the time being. Jonathan Tah, Antonio Rüdiger and Joshua Kimmich are set. Only David Raum and Maxi Mittelstädt compete for the left -back post. Behind it, the national coach Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann declared a permanent number one in the goal, until the return of the long-term injured Marc-André Ter Stegen.

Realered Italians

However, there could be a debut. Central defender Yann Aurel Bisseck may have justified hopes of a few minutes of work after his first nomination against his Italian teammates from Inter Milan. However, even larger experiments should fail against the Italians. According to the DFB sports director Völler, the four-time world champion is simply too strong: »Italy is difficult to play. They allow little and are compact. They also have an outstanding trainer who sets the team well. ”Luciano Spalletti has had a very similar process like his counterpart Julian Nagelsmann. At the beginning, the 66-year-old overloaded the Italian players with a complex tactical approach. Since the screwed up European Championship in Germany, in which the Squadra Azzurra failed in the round of 16 at Switzerland, Spalletti has simplified its tactics and has finally switched to a defense chain.

After that, there were four victories in a strong Nation League group with France, Belgium and Israel, a draw and only one defeat against the French in the meaningless last group game when both teams were already qualified for the quarter-finals. In the attack, the Spalletti team lacks an absolute top player. Nevertheless, it would be the hoped-for next exclamation mark on the way to the World Championship to come to an DFB team that cannot currently compete in the best line-up.