Julian Nagelsmann is not focused on the past, because his Germany team strives to make their own history against Italy.
Germany claimed a 2-1 win over Italy in Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on Thursday, where Leon Goretzka completed a turning victory.
Prior to this Nations League quarterfinals, Germany and Italy had met five times in the knockout phases of major tournaments.
Germany only progressed once from those ties, and their defeats include a heartbreaking loss at home in the 2006 World Cup.
Nagelsmann referred to that defeat in his media conference of the second pije, but insisted that the focus is not on approving for earlier defeats for the Azzurri.
That winning feeling #dfb #germanfootball #itager
DFB/ Philipp Reinhard pic.twitter.com/PRKGIVVDKTKT
– German football (@dfb_team_en) March 20, 2025
“I remember 2006 and I am still not happy that Germany has not won,” he said.
“But for me it is more important to talk about the present and not about the past. We want to write our own history.
“I am not afraid of the speed of the Italians. We are in a good mood, we are awake.
“We have good solutions for this game and it will be important that we create opportunities.”
Italy had 13 shots to the 10 of Germany in the first stage, although the Nagelsmann team created slightly better opportunities and ended with a higher expected target figure (1.0 to 0.87).
Coach Luciano Spalletti, however, believes that Italy will be more lucky if they match the same levels that they have shown on Thursday.
He said: “We are going to try to do the same things from the start, I am convinced that if we succeed in having the same behavior as Thursday, the result will be different.
“It will be something extraordinary because we start with a disadvantage, but we need a different achievements such as Thursday. We don't have to find the impossible.
“We only have to change a few moments in the game and some individuals make a difference.”
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