Initial reactions and observations
- The substitutions made a huge difference for Germany, especially the addition of Jonas Hofmann for Benjamin Henrichs. Hofmann may have secured his spot in the starting XI today, he was a game-changer after coming on.
- Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry remain frustrating pieces of the puzzle. Seems like Hansi Flick has inherited the problems Bayern had last season, and he seems no closer to solving them.
- Thilo Kehrer really should not play against England next week. He’s simply not good enough for the left-back spot. Hansi Flick has to stop being so inexplicably loyal to the guy and start allowing David Raum to get more chances.
Full time: Italy 1-1 Germany.
72’ — GOAL! Kimmich makes it 1-1 immediately!
70’ — Goal! Pellegrini scores! Germany on their way to losing their first game under Hansi.
58’ — Subs: Musiala and Hofmann on for Sane and Henrichs.
45’ — The second half is underway!
Halftime observations and analysis
- Miserable viewing for Bayern Munich fans. Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane in particular have been awful.
- Germany have been good pressing against the ball. However, the passing has been errant and chances have not been taken. Flick will want to make some adjustments at half time.
- This fullback configuration isn’t working out. Kehrer and Henrichs are unable to progress the ball and get repeatedly caught out by Italy on the flanks. Replacing them would be the best choice for Germany.
45’ — Halftime, still 0-0.
34’ — Scamacca hits the post! Italy and Germany have been evenly matched so far, but that could’ve tipped the scales if it’d gone in.
Kickoff: We’re underway in Bologna!
One hour until kickoff: We have lineups! Looks like Flick went with Thomas Muller and Timo Werner up top, with Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane on the wings. Benjamin Henrichs gets a start at right-back.
The UEFA Nations League is a great concept. Instead of littering the summer with a bunch of meaningless friendlies in a World Cup year, Germany can now test itself against some of the best teams in the world, and Italy.
While the Azzurri may have failed to qualify for Qatar 2022, they’re still the reigning Euro champions, making them a solid opponent to test his squad’s preparation so far. A bunch of Bayern Munich regulars will be available for this game, such as Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, Manuel Neuer, and more. They’ll be joined by Chelsea’s German contingent, plus a smattering of other players from various clubs across Europe. With Bayern making up the backbone of this German side, it’ll be fascinating to see how they fare under Flick against a proper opponent.
While you’re waiting for the game, why not check out our podcast? We’ve got the lowdown on Sadio Mane, Nagelsmann’s potential new system, and more! Listen to it below or at this link.
Match Info
Location: Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, Bologna, Italy
Time: 8:45 pm local time, 2:45 pm EST
TV/streaming: Find Your Country
Tips for commenting:
- If you’re a new member, feel free to introduce yourself! We’re
mostlyvery friendly! Also, we’re from all parts of the world so don’t feel shy if you’re from a country that doesn’t seem represented on the blog. - If the comments section starts to slow down for you, just hit the refresh button and keep commenting. It’s not necessary to have the whole comments loaded at one time while you’re just casually following along.
- Keep the sorting to “newest” to easily follow the conversation. It puts the newest comments at the top.
- Here at BFW we celebrate every goal like they do in the stadium: with a chant. The goal chants are for everyone to participate in! Even if you’re lagging behind the others, keep replying to the most recent call of the player’s name. Even if you missed the first call, just start from the second, and so on.
- While swearing is allowed within reason, please be polite to your fellow posters and avoid gratuitous obscenities. Racist, homophobic, and misogynistic language is not allowed whatsoever.
Check out our beginners thread if you have any more questions. That’s about it. Auf geht’s!
Looking for an unending well of Bayern Munich content? Sign up for an SBNation account and join the conversation on Bavarian Football Works. Whether it’s full match coverage and analysis, breaking news, podcasts or something completely different, we have it all.
