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DFB streak in Dortmund continues - Schlotterbeck: "It was a lot of fun"
For DFB sports director Rudi Völler, the Dortmund stadium was already "the perfect place for this football classic" before the game against four-time world champions and two-time European champions Italy even began. And for good reason: When the German national team plays in the stadium on Strobelallee, their chances of winning increase. The DFB squad have not lost any of their previous 21 international games in the BVB stadium during regular time. Only in the semi-final of the home World Cup in 2006 were they defeated - though only in added time - when they lost 0-2 to Italy.
Almost 19 years later, in the same place, national coach Julian Nagelmann's team ensured they were not knocked out again by the Squadra Azzurra thanks to early goals by Joshua Kimmich (30, penalty), Jamal Musiala (36) and Tim Kleindienst (45). Moise Kean (49/69) and Giacomo Raspadori (90+5, penalty) scored for Italy. The deciding factor in the German team's favour was their 2-1 win in the first game in Milan on Thursday.
The balance sheet of the DFB squad in Dortmund continues to be impressive. Including the two international games against Ireland (3-1, 1935) and Albania (6-0, 1967) which took place in the Stadion Rote Erde, they have racked up 18 wins, four draws, and only one defeat. The first game in the then newly built Westfalenstadion took place on 17th April 1994 against Hungary (5-0) - just two weeks after the official opening. The last time the DFB squad played in Dortmund, they progressed to the quarter-finals after winning their Euros round of 16 game against Denmark 2-0 on 29th June 2024.
Praise for Nico Schlotterbeck
All three of the Dortmund first team players selected by Nagelsmann were in action in the two games against Italy. Nico Schlotterbeck had the most time on the pitch. His strong performance as left full-back - not his usual position - after coming on for the second half in Milan earnt the BVB centre-back special praise from the national coach: "Schlotti played a brilliant game."
He didn't have to wait long for his reward: In his home stadium in Dortmund, Schlotterbeck was in the starting eleven and played convincingly as part of the DFB defence, which changed its formation to three at the back. He was particularly pleased with his team's excellent start to the game: "I've rarely experienced such a dominant first half with a team. It was a lot of fun," the defender recounted enthusiastically.
He was less pleased with the team's performance after half time. The 25 year old hopes that the team will learn from the experience: "Maybe it'll help us in the near future to keep playing until the 90th minute." Still, Schlotterbeck felt that overall the game was encouraging for the final round in Germany at the start of June: "If we play like we did in the first half, we're going to be hard to beat." The German team's opponents in the semi-final on 4th June in Munich will be Portugal, who defeated a strong Danish team 5-2 at home in added time.
Pascal Groß also in action in both games
Pascal Groß is viewed similarly favourably by the national coach. The midfielder, who transferred to BVB from first league English team Brighton last summer, was only subbed off for Robert Andrich (Leverkusen) in the 90th minute of the game in Milan which the German team won 2-1.
Just a few days later the 33 year old veteran came on in the 63rd minute for Angelo Stiller from Stuttgart and helped to hold onto the draw. "There was a bit of everything in that game. An exceptional first half - and then you saw how anything can happen in football. It's not very easy to flip the switch again," said Groß, referring to the drop-off in the DFB squad's performance in the second half. But like Schlotterbeck, he was satisfied overall: "We won a difficult away game in Italy. It was a positive week. And I'll take that positive feeling away with me."
Short appearances for DFB returner Karim Adeyemi
For the first time since the disappointing 2022 World Cup from a German perspective, Karim Adeyemi was back in the national squad. This was Nagelsmann's response to the Black&Yellow winger's improving form. "Karim's weapon is his speed in taking the ball up the pitch. We don't have much of that quality in the rest of the squad," said the coach. "Happy to be back," commented Adeyemi on Instagram. He made his fourth international appearance when he came on to replace Leroy Sané (Munich) in the 82nd minute of the first game against Italy. In Dortmund, he came on for Sané in the 63rd minute.
The UEFA executive committee decided at its meeting in December that the winner of the quarter finals between Germany and Italy would organise the final round of the Nations League, including the semi-finals and the final. The two semi-finals will take place on 4th and 5th June 2025, with the final and the third-place game taking place on 8th June. The locations will be Stuttgart and Munich.