A nightmare first half condemns the Azzurri. The second-half comeback proves useless.
Luciano Spalletti’s Italy is out of the Nations League.
We knew it would be tough to overturn the one-goal deficit from the first leg going into Dortmund, but the first half of the Nations League quarter-final return match highlighted an enormous gap between the Azzurri and the Germans.
Nagelsmann’s players were far superior, while the Italians were too distracted, literally gifting Germany their second goal—a type of mistake rarely seen even at amateur level—following a surprise corner kick taken by the Germans as Donnarumma and his teammates were still busy discussing the circumstances leading to the corner.
If in the first leg Italy had given the impression they could compete evenly with Germany, the first half in Dortmund was entirely one-sided, with the Azzurri constantly pinned back into a deep defensive block and the Germans fiercely recovering possession high up the pitch through relentless pressing against Italy’s initial ball carriers.
In the second half, Italy’s proud reaction resulted in a brace from Moise Kean and even a late equalizer from Raspadori’s penalty, but the reality is Germany’s qualification never really seemed in doubt. Spalletti will have considerable work ahead to elevate his national team to a higher level of competitiveness.
Retegui was missing, although Kean effectively replaced him, reopening discussions about the numerous injuries affecting players at this critical stage of the season across the globe. Just looking at Serie A, Paulo Dybala (season ended), Lautaro Martinez, and Retegui were all injured in the past week, underscoring an issue affecting football universally. Excessive matches per season and physical and mental wear on players are recurring themes in sports. The truth is, so many matches are played because they generate significant money, and players themselves, despite often complaining, are the primary beneficiaries of this business.
Injuries are no longer an unpredictable factor of the game; they have become an integral part of it—a calculated variable. It’s up to those involved in football operations to devise countermeasures to contain or mitigate the impact of this problem. Rosters of 25-30 players are undoubtedly a resource, as are the five substitutions allowed per game. Those who can best utilize these solutions (limited though they may be) will manage to alleviate the issue.
