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Hansi Flick is looking for his best eleven
Photo: ALBERTO LINGRIA / REUTERS
Dry analysis:
A draw knows no match winners.
If there was one anyway, Joshua Kimmich would be a hot candidate: Germany's number six had scored against Italy, collected an outstanding 107 ball contacts and at the end of a muggy evening in Bologna was still breathing, as the first to analyze self-critically in front of the RTL microphone, what was missing for victory: Above all, the "intensity", but the conditions were not made for competitive sports either: "Maybe it was the humidity in the end, we weren't quite used to it." You can use that as an excuse , but after a game with a drinking break and numerous slides on the damp lawn, it is a thoroughly plausible one.
The result:
The start of the Nations League, i.e. the test kicks in tournament form raised to compulsory games, was only partially successful for the German national team: 1: 1 (0: 0) after 90 minutes in the Stadio Dall'Ara against hosts Italy Result corresponding to the achievements.
You can find the match report here.
Full voices:
The national anthems already showed how sad it is that the Italians, who failed to qualify for the World Cup, will be absent in Qatar.
Not only because the melody of the song, which the Italians sang along with, was infectious – above all because the Italian reaction to occasional whistles during the German anthem was heartwarming: the troublemakers were simply applauded by fans and players.
This is fair play among rivals.
The first half:
From a sporting point of view, coach Roberto Mancini approached the upheaval that should bring the ailing European champions back to competitiveness: Only goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was still on the field from the European Championship final team against Germany.
And the game played out around his goal for a long time.
The DFB-Elf caused the first danger with a solo by Serge Gnabrys (15th).
Gianluca Scamacca, towering striker from Italy's new generation, hit the outside post out of nowhere (36').
A starting signal for the rest of the Squadra Azzura, which now found better into the game.
His block
: The DFB-Elf is also considered a team in transition.
But national coach Hansi Flick seems to be preparing to add an epilogue to his success story as FC Bayern club coach in Qatar: A block of seven professionals from the record champions, including the entire German midfield, formed the heart of the team against Italy.
True to the motto: What won the Champions League two years ago cannot be wrong today.
Question marks one and two:
When Kimmich won the premier class in 2020, he was in defensive midfield today and still defended on the right at the back.
Flick is not embarking on such an experiment with the DFB team – not yet.
There is reason to do so: Benjamin Henrichs' start-up comeback in the national team turned out to be mixed.
Counterpart Thilo Kehrer is put under flick with his conservative style of play, but only rotation players at Paris Saint-Germain.
The right wing duo for the World Cup has not yet been found, as Kimmich's representative in the center at least Ilkay Gündogan would be ready if the worst came to the worst.
The second half:
It was not entirely surprising that the Italian lead was initiated via the flank: Joker Wilfried Gnonto, who had just become Swiss champion under André Breitenreiter, crossed from Kehrer's side to the unguarded Lorenzo Pellegrini, just under José Mourinho Conference -League winner.
Pellegrini pushed in from close range.
The Italian all sorts of upheavals were the better team after the change of sides, the lead was okay – and three minutes later, thanks to Kimmich, it was history again before numerous Mancini changes took their rhythm out of the game.
The third question mark:
Flick's decision to model the national team almost entirely on FC Bayern also carries a problem from Säbener Strasse to the DFB circle: How do you flip the switch at Leroy Sané again that turns the offensive dribbler from hesitater to magician?
In the club, Sané has been waiting for a goal participation since February, against Italy the lack of self-image was expressed in stick errors and ball losses.
Early in the second half, Flick puzzled the next Bayern professional in Jamal Musiala into midfield for the exceptional talent who was prevented from playing.
International match at home:
We continue from muggy Italy to mild Munich, where the next game in the Nations League against England is scheduled for Tuesday evening (8.45 p.m., TV: RTL).
The Three Lions had previously suffered a defeat against Hungary - and Hungarian whistles at an anti-racist gesture that unfortunately nobody wanted to smack.
