Germany vs. Italy: Winners and Losers from International Friendly
Germany continued preparations for UEFA Euro 2016 with an impressive 4-1 victory over Italy on Tuesday night in an international friendly in Munich.
The reigning World Cup champions were much the better side throughout, taking a 4-0 lead by the 75th minute before Italy pulled a late goal back. Toni Kroos, Mario Gotze, Jonas Hector and Mesut Ozil found the back of the net for Germany, while Stephan El Shaarawy scored for the Azzurri.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Winner: Joachim Low
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Before Tuesday's match, Germany boss Joachim Low had endured something of a bumpy patch. Since leading Die Mannschaft to World Cup glory nearly two years ago in Brazil, Germany had failed to impress as Low sought to replace key veterans and refresh his squad ahead of Euro 2016.
Losing to England in a friendly last week was not particularly damaging, but it must have stung Low and Germany to throw away a two-goal lead against their old rivals. But from that low point, the world champions have now given themselves a fresh start with this comprehensive win over Italy.
Heading into Euro 2016, beating a big-name opponent like the Azzurri can only be a positive for Germany. Low and his players were already going to be confident, but this performance might have restored some self-belief following the nature of the defeat to England in Berlin.
Not only that, but Low also became the first Germany coach to beat Italy in eight matches. Die Mannschaft had failed to win each of the past seven encounters between the two sides, including high-stakes meetings in the semifinals of the 2006 World Cup and Euro 2012.
Losers: Antonio Conte and Italy
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There will surely be changes—probably many changes—to Antonio Conte's starting XI when Italy face Belgium in their first match at Euro 2016 on June 13. However, this was a worrying result and performance, regardless of which team the Azzurri put forth that day in Lyon.
To put it simply, this was an embarrassing loss. Sure, it was only a friendly, and it's true that the match offered a chance to look at different players. But it was a high-profile game against a top-quality opponent. In the latter context, losing 4-1 is a huge negative for the Azzurri.
“I had said beforehand we needed these important tests to evaluate ourselves. We certainly met the best side, and that includes Spain last week," Conte told Rai Sport (h/t Football Italia). “We saw, we worked, the lads gave all they had to give and now we’ll evaluate the situation."
Conte is correct not to panic, but the biggest potential worry for the Italy boss was the second-half injury to defender Leonardo Bonucci. Already short of defensive options, Conte might have to shuffle his pack yet again if Bonucci misses significant time.
This summer is shaping up to be quite the challenge for Conte and Italy.
Winner: Thomas Muller
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Life is good for Thomas Muller at the moment.
A mainstay in Germany's first XI, Muller wore the captain's armband for the first time Tuesday night and rewarded his manager's faith with a strong attacking display. The 26-year-old played a crucial role in most of Germany's best attacks during the opening 45 minutes, including both of the hosts' first-half goals.
In the 24th minute, the Bayern Munich man drove in a low cross from the right that was half-cleared to Toni Kroos. The latter curled a sweet first-time shot past Gianluigi Buffon and into the bottom corner.
Twenty-one minutes later, on the stroke of halftime, Muller created the second goal with another cross. This time he curled a speculative ball toward the back post, where Mario Gotze positioned himself between two defenders and headed in Germany's second.
As he left the pitch in favor of a 69th-minute substitute, Muller didn't even look winded. Having barely broken a sweat, he waved affably at his admiring fans, finishing off his night with style and comfort.
Winner: Toni Kroos
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As noted in the previous slide, Kroos opened the scoring in the 24th minute with a curling first-time shot that handily beat Buffon and nestled into the bottom corner. It was a sweet strike that showcased Kroos' shot-taking ability and proved that it's not always how hard you hit the ball but sometimes how well you can place it.
"Lovely goal from Kroos in Munich. Effortlessly steered into the bottom corner; no chance for Buffon," tweeted the Mirror's Alex Richards.
Kroos' goal was his second in as many international matches. With these two recent strikes under his belt, he'll look to translate his form to Real Madrid at the club level.
Winner: Mario Gotze
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Still just 23 years old, Mario Gotze almost seems too young to reach 50 caps. And yet on Tuesday night, he reached the half-century mark in appearances for Germany and celebrated by scoring one goal and providing a helping hand in another.
The Bayern man's goal came in the 45th minute, when he beat two Italian defenders to a Muller cross and headed past Buffon for Germany's second. He then combined excellently with Julian Draxler for his side's third strike in the 59th minute.
The move started just inside Italy's half, with Draxler and Gotze playing a neat one-two. Gotze's return pass, a back-heel, was the one that sliced open the defense, allowing Draxler the freedom to run unopposed into Italy's box. The latter then pulled back for Jonas Hector to finish.
In Germany's star-studded lineup, Gotze has plenty of competition for playing time. But his display on Tuesday night couldn't have hurt his chances.
