Germany and Italy faced off in what promised to be a thrilling encounter , the game was quite possibly the opposite of it. Both the teams fought hard to break each other in the first half and failed , Germany scored through Ozil in the second half, a lead which was soon cancelled by Leonardo Bruennichi’s penalty. Extra time offered little help before Germany won quite possibly the most entertaining penalty shootout ever. Here are 5 things we learnt from Italy vs Germany
1 Germany were very , very lucky
How often would you a team winning a penalty shootout with three of its best players missing. Muller , Ozil and Schweinsteiger all missed for Germany. Luckily for them, Pelle and Bonucci did the same before Zaza came up with the most bizarre run up ever and missing. Jonas Hector slotted the ball in after Damian’s miss, dragging Germany to the semi finals.
2 Heartbreak for Italy
Italy did not deserve this. It’s hard to decide a winner in a game which was so even , penalties are always cruel. The way things unfolded , there was no way Italy were going home without a fight and ultimately lost out on spot kicks. This was Antonio Conte’s last game for the Azzurri and they must now look forward to qualifying for the 2018 World Cup under new manager , Giampiero Ventura.
3 A lot of work still to do for Low’s men
Germany are two wins away from becoming the European Champions, yet they are nowhere near the level they displayed in Brazil two years ago. One of their star men from Brazil , Thomas Mueller has had a forgetful tournament and is yet to score. Joachim Loew definitely needs to spin his magic together before the semi final clash as they cannot ride on luck anymore.
4 Buffon is an absolute legend
Right after the game Italy captain and World Cup winner Gianluigi Buffon confirmed that he will represent his country again at the 2018 World cup in Russia. The Juventus legend will be beyond 40 years of age when the tournament kicks off , and his dedication and desire to represent his country is remarkable. Buffon still takes every game like it’s his first with passion and pride. He is an absolute inspiration to young players out there , and it was really difficult for anyone to see him leave the pitch in tears after the shootout.
5 France or Iceland next for the world champions
Loew’s men will now face either France or Iceland for a place in the finals. It will be interesting to see how the manager adjusts to this game considering how his team has performed so far.
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