Germany’s run is halted by Italian new boy Gnonto
GERMANY lost their 100 per cent record under new manager Hansi Flick against an experimental Italian team buoyed by teenage debutant Wilfried Gnonto.
With both heavyweights due to face England in the next week, this Nations League meeting in Bologna exploded into life midway through the second half after a goalless opening 70 minutes.
Roberto Mancini’s Italy, showing 10 changes from the side beaten by Argentina at Wembley in the Cup of Champions last week, broke the deadlock when 18-year-old substitute Gnonto got to the byline and crossed for Roma skipper Lorenzo Pellegrini to beat Manuel Neuer from close range.
But the setback stirred Germany into life having won all seven previous games since Flick replaced Joachim Low last year.
After 73 minutes, Jonas Hofmann’s cross struck Timo Werner in the box and sat up nicely for Joshua Kimmich to steer home the equaliser from eight yards.
Apart from that, there wasn’t a lot to alarm Gareth Southgate, whose side go to Munich on Tuesday before facing Italy in England on Saturday.
While Mancini admitted before kick-off he had to ‘take risks’ with his selection, having failed to qualify for the World Cup, it was a triedand-tested German line-up with Flick starting with seven players from former club Bayern Munich.
Germany were the more fluid in the opening half-hour. Serge Gnabry tested Gianluigi Donnarumma. Thomas Muller had a shot blocked by Alessandro Florenzi and Leon Goretzka shot wastefully high when set up by Gnabry.
Gradually, the hosts improved after weathering the storm and Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca — recently linked with Arsenal — turned in the box to hit the post with Neuer beaten. Scamacca later had a chance to head Italy in front but put it wide from close range.
In hot and humid conditions, the occasion belatedly came to life when Alessandro Florenzi and Kimmich squared up after the Italian grabbed his opponent’s neck.
There was a huge roar when Gnonto of FC Zurich made his entrance — and five minutes later he created the opening goal by showing Thilo Kehrer a clean pair of heels.