Germany secured their place in the Nations League semi-finals after overcoming Italy in a dramatic two-legged encounter. The Germans capitalized on costly mistakes from the Italian side, including a shocking blunder by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. In the first leg at the San Siro, Germany claimed a 2-1 victory under the guidance of Julian Nagelsmann. They then completed the job at Signal Iduna Park, where they extended their advantage. The match saw Germany take the lead through a penalty converted by captain Joshua Kimmich after Tim Kleindienst was fouled by Alessandro Buongiorno. However, the real turning point came when Donnarumma, after initially making a save, bizarrely walked away from his goal to argue with the referee or his teammates. This lapse in concentration allowed Jamal Musiala to strike into an empty net from Kimmich’s quick corner, putting Germany in firm control. The situation worsened for Italy when they lost possession in a risky attempt to play out from the back, leading to another goal from Kleindienst just before halftime. By then, Germany had built a dominant 5-1 aggregate lead, seemingly sealing their place in the next round.
Despite being on the brink of elimination, Italy refused to go down without a fight and dominated the second half. Former Everton forward Moise Kean ignited hopes of a comeback with two well-taken goals—one a precise shot into the bottom corner and the other set up by Giacomo Raspadori. The Italian resurgence continued deep into stoppage time when Maximilian Mittelstadt was penalized for a handball, allowing Raspadori to convert from the spot and bring the score to 3-3 on the night. However, with an aggregate score of 5-4 in favor of Germany, Italy ultimately ran out of time to find an equalizer that could have forced extra time. Despite their spirited effort, the damage from the first half proved too significant to overcome, and Germany secured a hard-fought victory to book their place in the semi-finals.
This marks the first time Germany has reached the semi-finals of the Nations League, where they are set to face Portugal in June. Their victory also affects their World Cup qualifying path, as they will now join Group A alongside Luxembourg, Northern Ireland, and Slovakia. Meanwhile, Italy, who fell just short of a comeback, will be placed in Group I alongside Estonia, Israel, Moldova, and Norway. The match showcased both Germany’s clinical efficiency and Italy’s resilience, but in the end, Germany’s early dominance and ability to exploit Italian mistakes made the crucial difference.
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