The old guys got the job done for Germany.
On Thursday night, Germany was outplayed for the first half by the Italian squad, trailing 1-0. After some locker room adjustments, Germany stormed back with two goals to complete the comeback victory. That result would not have been possible without the stellar efforts of two key players: Oliver Baumann and Tim Kleindienst.
After conceding a goal in the 9th minute to Sandro Tonali (in which he had no chance to actually stop the goal), Baumann locked down the box and made six quality saves to see out the win.
Jonathan Burkhardt earned the starting nod as Germany’s number nine but underwhelmed in making a first half impact. On the other hand, Kleindienst subbed in at the start of the second half and his first touch was a perfectly deflected header (from Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich) that found the back of the net, giving Germany a much-needed adrenaline boost.
“We knew it would be a tough game against Italy here with their fans,” said Kleindienst (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “It was very important to get off to a good start in the second half. We played a very good away game and deserved the win. It was a lot of fun being out on the pitch here.”
Baumann added, “It was indescribably beautiful today, and it was really fun to play with the team. I’m enjoying this victory.” [DFB]
Looking for more thoughts and analysis on the game ? We’ve got you covered! Check out the Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Show!
