Germany vs Italy

Borussia-Park in Monchengladbach plays host to a mouth-watering UEFA Nations League showdown between Germany and Italy.

Germany bounced back from an early deficit to hold Hungary to a 1-1 draw last time out, with both goals coming inside the opening ten minutes of play. It means each of their three Group A1 fixtures has yielded an identical scoreline at full-time. We could already discuss the Germans’ decline under Hansi Flick. Indeed, after winning his first eight internationals in charge, the ex-Bayern Munich boss has drawn the last four on the trot. Another stalemate could be on the cards, considering four of Germany’s five previous meetings with Italy have ended level after 90 minutes (W2, D3). Yet, ‘Die Mannschaft’ have only suffered two defeats in their last 19 internationals on home turf (W11, D6), explaining why the bookies see them as pre-match favourites.

On the other hand, Italy’s tepid scoreless draw with England last time out has extended their 100% unbeaten ratio in the 2022/23 Nations League campaign (W1, D2). But another failed attempt to qualify for the World Cup finals, coupled with a dismal run of two wins from eight matches (D4, L2), suggests the Italians are having a torrid time. On the bright side, Roberto Mancini’s men head into proceedings unbeaten in their last 15 away matches, excluding their triumphant Euro 2020 campaign. Yet, the low-scoring theme could be the order of the day, as three of Italy’s last four outings on foreign soil have ended goalless (W1).