News (engl.)

Germany are into the final tournament on home soil! The national team reached the semi-finals of the Nations League after a 3-3 draw with Italy in their quarter-final second leg. Following their 2-1 first-leg victory on Thursday, head coach Julian Nagelsmann side played some excellent football in the first half in Dortmund. The Squadra Azzurra fought back in the second half and Germany had a few nervy moments on their way to securing progression. DFB.de has all the reaction from the match.

Julian Nagelsmann: The first half was very impressive, unbelievably good – the best of my time in charge. But there are always moments when you can concede goals. The big difference was that we almost always played backwards in the second half, and almost always through the centre.

Joshua Kimmich: The first half was really, really fun to watch. We played some very good football. The opponents gained momentum after getting a goal back, and we made too many mistakes. You could tell that we still have a lot to learn.

Nico Schlotterbeck: We played brilliantly in the first half and were incredibly dominant. We were sloppy in the second half and made too many mistakes. I’m pleased that we’re through to the next round.

Tim Kleindienst: The first half was amazing. We didn’t press as much in the second half. It was an incredibly enjoyable experience. Everything worked for us. We won the ball back many times and deserved to score this many goals. Everyone’s looking forward to the final tournament. In the end, all that matters is progression.

Antonio Rüdiger: We were dominant in the first half. We did everything you’d expect us to in a game like this. In the second period, we played the ball backwards more. That meant it was harder to get forward. We made it difficult for ourselves. I want to be the best version of myself. Thank you to the fans here in Dortmund. We’re on a good trajectory, and the second half has to be a learning curve for us.

Jamal Musiala: We’ve learnt a lot from this. We were really good in the first half. Everything worked out perfectly. We’re looking forward to the Finals and want to win both matches.

Rudi Völler: We were unbelievable in the first half. That was up there with the best we’ve played in the last few years. You could also see though how you can start to wobble when your levels drop by a few percent. If you take both matches, we thoroughly deserve to be in the final four. We’re on a great trajectory for the coming years.