March 21, (THEWILL) – Germany overcame a half-time deficit to defeat Italy 2-1 in the first leg of their Nations League quarter-final at San Siro on Thursday. Joshua Kimmich proved instrumental in the victory, delivering two precise crosses that resulted in crucial goals for the German side.
Italy took an early advantage when Sandro Tonali found the net after nine minutes. The Newcastle United midfielder capitalised on a situation where Matteo Politano’s cutback was diverted away from Moise Kean but fell perfectly for Tonali to finish with composure.
German goalkeeper Oliver Baumann made several important saves to keep his team within striking distance before the visitors mounted their comeback after the interval. Tim Kleindienst, who was introduced as a half-time substitute, equalised in the 49th minute with a powerful header from an excellent Kimmich cross.
The winning goal arrived in the 76th minute when Leon Goretzka directed a clever flicked header from Kimmich’s in-swinging corner past Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. This goal could prove decisive heading into the return fixture, giving Germany a valuable advantage before Sunday’s second leg.
Both teams will now focus on the upcoming decisive match where Italy must overcome the one-goal deficit if they hope to advance in the competition. Germany will enter the second leg with confidence following their strong second-half performance and comeback victory on Italian soil.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
