Bologna, June 5 (BNA): Joshua Kimmich’s goal scored Germany’s 1-1 equalizer with Italy in the opening match of the Nations League on Saturday, ensuring his team remained unbeaten under coach Hansi Flick.
In an attempt to overcome their disappointment with the failure to qualify for the World Cup for the second consecutive tournament, Italy selected a demo team for the match League A, Group C in Bologna, and gave Flick’s team a real test, Reuters reports.
Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini overtook the hosts in the lead 20 minutes before the end of the match, as Italy looked ready to score only their second win in their last six matches, but Kimmich slammed after three minutes to get his team a point.
The draw means Germany have won eight and drawn two of their matches since Flick took over from Joachim Loew after last summer’s European Championship, England will qualify for the Nations League on Tuesday, and Italy will play Hungary.
“It’s a pity that we conceded the equalizer right after that, we were naive, because it was not an easy match, especially at the beginning,” Italy coach Roberto Mancini told Rai Sports.
“It was the first time these players played together, they did a great job, they suffered when they had to, they attacked when they had to. The players put in a really good performance, they played on par with the great national team at this moment.”
Things were mixed between Mancini after the Azzurri’s 3-0 defeat to Argentina at “Finalissima” on Wednesday, with only goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma retaining his place in the starting lineup.
But the new Italy dazzled, with Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamaca close to the first-half goal as he parried his powerful shot from 25 meters into the post.
Visitors missed a great opportunity of their own in the opening period, with Serge Gnabry shooting from a good position.
Mancini continued to bleed young players after the break, with one first-time substitute – 18-year-old Wilfried Gonto – and making Pellegrini to give Italy the lead.
Then the dirty defense cost Italy dearly as they failed to clear the loose ball in the penalty area and Kimmich settled things.
The hosts pressed for a late winner but settled with one point as Flick became the third coach in the history of the German national team to be undefeated in their first 10 matches after Sepp Herberger and Joseph Derwall.
“Whether the point was worth it, I don’t know, but it was very little,” Kimmich told RTL. “We wanted to win. We know that Italy is in a transitional phase at the moment and doesn’t necessarily have the best team on the pitch, so we wanted to win.
“We weren’t always able to play our game, we weren’t as strong as we wanted, maybe it was because of the humidity and the heat. I know I had a chance to score 2-1 as well, maybe I should have scored that.”