Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Germany vs. Italy; Patrik Schick to leave Bayer Leverkusen?; Karl-Heinz Rummenigge feeling good about hiring Vincent Kompany; Real Madrid starlet on the move; Joshua Kimmich inks another new deal; and MORE!

Germany was sweating that out, eh?

Die Folgen: Germany 3-3 draw with Italy (Bavarian Football Works)

Well, that was interesting, eh?

Germany used the power of Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala to earn a scary 3-3 draw with Italy that will push Die Mannschaft (nope, we are not letting the name die) into the UEFA Nations League semifinals.

Let’s get into it! Here are some quick hitters on the match:

• As always, let’s begin with the starting XI:

• There were some changes to Julian Nagelsmann’s starting XI. Notably, Nico Schlotterbeck stepped in at left-back, Angelo Stiller played in the central midfield, Maximilian Mittelstädt played as a wing, and Tim Kleindienst started at striker.
• The starting XI looked like it was going to just batter Italy early on, but things would fall apart. Goals from Kimmich, Musiala, and Kleindienst had some German fans pinching themselves, but it did not last.
• Kleindienst is really showing that he has the chops to be effective for Germany. With goals in consecutive games, the Gladbach striker seems to be the kind of target man whom the supporting cast around him can showcase.
• Kimmich was on a mission and has really embraced the role of captain. As an all-around player, it is hard to think about too many players who are excelling in all phases of the game — plus being a dynamite leader. The anti-Kimmich crowd is having a tough few months.
• Schlotterbeck playing left-back is akin to the days when Niklas Süle used to play right-back for Bayern Munich…except that Süle at that time was better than Schlotterbeck is right now.
• For someone who typically plays deeper, Mittelstädt put in a nice shift at wing. Conversely, Leroy Sané had another match where he just was not all that impactful (at least for Germany, he did help Italy, though). You could argue that Mittelstädt looked more fluid at the position than Sané.
• Goretzka’s ball to Kleindienst was excellent and the striker rightfully drew a penalty, which Kimmich converted. Gianluigi Donnarumma guessed right, but Kimmich’s shot attempt was hit hard enough and was perfectly tucked into the corner.
• Donnarumma would play a massive part in the game. He had some amazing saves, but he fell asleep at the wheel on Musiala’s goal. As Donnarumma seemed to be laying into his squad for faulty defending he walked out of the net; Kimmich astutely played a corner quickly to Musiala, who put the ball into an open net for a 2-0 lead. What an insane play in a match like this. That just can’t happen under any circumstances.
• On a different day, Germany might have tallied five or six goals.
• Kimmich’s chip to Kleindienst on the Gladbach man’s goal was terrific. At this point in the match, it seemed like nothing would slow down Germany…until Nagelsmann went on a sub-spree.
• Sané’s errant pass to Kimmich, which the right-back desperately tried to stop, led directly to Moise Kean’s goal. That was the start of what would be a very nervy half for the Germans. There was nothing Oliver Baumann could do on the play.
• The mistake certainly had Germany scrambling for a bit.
• Nadiem Amiri, Yann Bisseck, Pascal Groß, Robert Andrich, and Karim Adeyemi all entered the match and, well, did not provide much help.
• I know it was disallowed, but I think that was a foul in the box by Schlotterbeck.
• It still feels like Nagelsmann is playing with fire using Jonathan Tah and Schlotterbeck at the same time. Tah’s defending on Kean’s second goal was not great.
• Italy tacked on a PK at the end for good measure, but Germany was on its heels big time.
• Overall, the tie with Italy was equally impressive and scary. For as good as Germany can be, its depth is a problem, and Nagelsmann’s personnel decisions are lacking. The coach is still infatuated with some players who just are not what he wants them to be. Some of the players just are not good enough at the moment, but the coach needs to be held accountable for that and his lineup selections as well. Congrats to Germany for surviving and advancing, but it needs to be a lot better from this point forward.

If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen:

Be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Check us out on Patreon and follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @BavarianPodcast @TheBarrelBlog, @BFWCyler, @bfwinnn, @IredahlMarcus, @2012nonexistent, @TommyAdams71 and more.

Schick looking to leave Leverkusen? (@berger_pj)

Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick could be looking to leave the club:

⚫️ Bayer Leverkusen and Patrik Schick (29/ ) – are threatened with a summer exit. The #Werkself is faced with the question: extend or sell?! This was also communicated internally. Contract runs until 2027. Playing a strong round with 17 league goals, even if he is not always a regular.

His relationship with Alonso isn’t exactly the best, but it’s professional. There was a discussion between the two.

Schick is leaning toward a move. The Premier League is his dream destination. Price tag: around € 30m. @_dennisbayer @SkySportDE

Rummenigge feeling even better about Kompany gamble (Abendzeitung via @iMiaSanMia)

Bayern Munich legend Karl-Heinz Rummenigge feels pretty good about how things are working out with Vincent Kompany.

“It’s fair to say it was a gamble for all of us at the beginning. At some point last summer, Max and Christoph came to us after a few rejections and said they had good talks with Vincent. They were convinced that they had found the right coach. Max then asked me to speak to Pep Guardiola because he had coached Vincent at Manchester City. Vincent was his captain. Pep explained to me in a one-and-a-half-hour lecture why he was 100% certain that Vincent was the right coach for Bayern. I thought to myself: If Pep gives these high honours, everything will be fine,” said Rummenigge.

Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show Season 4, Episode 35 (Bavarian Football Works)

The international break afford us the opportunity to take some time and think all things Bayern Munich — and maybe even take a deep dive back into some things from the past.

It was two years ago this week that Bayern Munich sacked Julian Nagelsmann. Let’s talk about the whens, the hows, and the whys of the situation once more and also how things have changed for everyone since that point. This is the full gamut of what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:

• Reflecting back on March 23rd, 2023 — The day that Bayern Munich fired Nagelsmann. The shock of it all. Why it happened? How that changed the future?
• Catching up on the latest news on some players, who Bayern Munich has been linked to — Bayer Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz, RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons, and Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen. Don’t be shocked, though, if Max Eberl goes off the grid on a pursuit or two.
• A listener Q&A segment, including a question on beer, squad planning, and which Bayern Munich jerseys BFW staffers own.
• A brief Entertainment Rundown.

Kimmich to re-up with Nike (Bild via @iMiaSanMia)

Joshua Kimmich’s deal with Bayern Munich was not the only piece of business he has closed this month.

Kimmich also re-upped with Nike:

Joshua Kimmich is close to signing a new contract with Nike. His previous contract had expired last year. Kimmich negotiated with several manufacturers but ultimately decided to stay with Nike.

Güler wants more playing time (Sport via ESPN)

A future at either Inter Milan or AC Milan could be tempting to Real Madrid’s Arda Güler:

Real Madrid starlet Arda Güler is keen to leave for more game time, with Inter Milan and AC Milan reportedly interested in the 20-year-old.

United wants Raphinha as part of revamped attack (Fichajes via 90Min.com)

Manchester United wants FC Barcelona attacker Raphinha:

Man Utd have also tabled an offer of €70m (£58.8m) for Barcelona forward and Ballon d’Or contender Raphinha.

Juve working on keeping Kolo Muani (Calciomercato via ESPN)

Juventus is intent on keeping Paris Saint-Germain loanee Randal Kolo Muani:

Juventus sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli is already working to keep Randal Kolo Muani, who has impressed since his January loan from Paris Saint-Germain, and the Bianconeri will offer €10m to extend his stay for another season, while also negotiating a deal to make the move permanent.