Germany’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer makes a save during the quarterfinal match between Germany and Italy, at the Nouveau Stade in Bordeaux
Despite missing more penalties in one shootout than it had done in 40 years of taking spot-kicks after extra time, Germany still managed to end its curse against Italy.
Thomas Mueller, Mesut Ozil and Bastian Schweinsteiger all missed in Saturday’s [Sunday 03:00] shootout after the sides finished 1-1 following extra time in their European Championship quarterfinal.
Fortunately, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer spared their blushes with two saves as Italy missed four spot-kicks and Germany went on to win 6-5, securing the team’s first competitive victory over the Azzurri at the ninth attempt.
“It was a war of nerves,” Neuer said.
Only two German players had ever missed in a tournament shootout before – Uli Hoeness as West Germany lost the 1976 European Championship final 5-3 to Czechoslovakia, and Uli Stielike as West Germany defeated France 5-4 in the 1982 World Cup semifinal.
It was a dramatic shootout in Bordeaux, featuring 18 spot kicks with neither side striking a decisive blow before it went to ‘sudden death.’
“I’ve never experienced a penalty shootout like it before. It went on for ages. I’m not sure how many penalties there were exactly,” Neuer said.
There had been a penalty beforehand too, scored by Leonardo Bonucci in the 78th minute to cancel out Ozil’s opener from 13 minutes before.
With extra time almost at an end, Italy coach Antonio Conte brought on penalty specialist Simone Zaza on for Giorgio Chiellini, but the move backfired when he missed after an unconventional trot up to the ball.
Then Mueller’s curious failure to score at a European Championship came back to haunt him when his effort was saved by Italy veteran Gianluigi Buffon.
Andrea Barzagli scored before Ozil struck the post, leaving Italy with a 2-1 lead. Then Graziano Pelle dragged his effort wide and Julian Draxler equalized to make it 2-2.
Germany had the advantage when Neuer saved Bonucci’s spot kick.
“I didn’t want to let Bonucci score a second time,” the Germany goalkeeper said.
But German celebrations were cut short when Schweinsteiger, who could have sealed victory by converting his spot-kick, struck his effort well over.
Neither side missed their next three penalties. Then Neuer saved Matteo Darmian’s spot kick, paving the way for Jonas Hector to be the hero with the winning shot.
“I’m delighted that it went in,” Hector said. “There weren’t many more people there [to take a penalty]. I took my heart in my hand and just wanted to make sure it went in.”
Hector’s strike penalty ended a winless curse against Italy that dated back to their first meeting at the 1962 World Cup.
“After so many years or decades we were due a win against Italy,” German football federation president Reinhard Grindel said. “From that point of view, the right ones had the luck that you need in a shootout.”
Germany coach Joachim Loew had tried a new tactical setup with a three-man defense, but in the end it was an old friend — the penalty kick — that provided the key to victory.
However, Neuer is anxious to avoid a similar situation in Germany’s next game. “You can’t just rely on the fact that Germany comes through every time there’s a penalty shootout,” he said. MDT/AP
Analysis | Football chess
The curse is lifted. In eight matches at either the European Championships or World Cup dating back to 1962, Germany had never beaten Italy, but the ninth time broke the spell.
The Germans can now stop calling the Italians their “Angstgegner” — “feared opponent,” but Germany had to pull out its specialty party trick to do it: the penalty shoot-out.
This was a game for tactics geeks, not neutrals hoping for end-to-end action.
German coach Joachim Loew paid Italy a fine compliment by changing his formation for this match, choosing to fight fire with fire by playing three defenders at the back like his Italy counterpart Antonio Conte.
The German back three of Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng and Benedikt Hoewedes left less space for the Italian attacking pair of Graziano Pelle and Eder to operate. Joshua Kimmich, on the right, and Hector, on the left, played as wing backs in Loew’s formation, hugging the touchlines, pushing high up the pitch and pulling Italy out wide.
In front of the German back three, central midfielders Sami Khedira and Toni Kroos provided another screen for the Italians to penetrate. Their 135 caps for Germany were more than the combined total of the central midfielders and two wingbacks that Conte fielded in his 3-5-2 formation.
When Khedira suffered an apparent groin strain and had to be substituted after just 16 minutes, Loew was able to call upon a player with even more experience: Manchester United’s Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was making his 119th appearance.
More than anything, the German formation seemed to mess with Italian minds. The enterprising Italy team that comprehensively outplayed 2012 champion Spain in the previous round thought twice about going forward. Instead of prowling down the wings as they had against Spain, Italy wingbacks Mattia De Sciglio and Alessandro Florenzi were far less intrepid and spent a lot more time reinforcing the defense. MDT/AP
No Comments