UEFA Nations League: Roberto Mancini Out To Stem Bad Run of Form With Stern Test Against Germany

• Old rivals, Italy and Germany, get their UEFA Nations League campaign underway tonight in Bologna, with Italy desperate for a good result
• Italy, despite winning the Euro 2020 Championships last year, have suffered a few torrid months that has seen them fail to qualify for the World for the second successive edition
• Germany have been rampant under former Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick, and they are unbeaten in four games against Italy

Italy will tonight hope to get their Finalissima anguish behind them when they host Germany at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara in Bologna. The two sides will open their UEFA Nations League campaign in contrasting forms.

In March, Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for two successive editions. On Wednesday, their despair was further compounded when they were beaten convincingly by Argentina in the inaugural Finalissima match.

On the other hand, Germany has already qualified for the World Cup and will be hoping to reclaim the trophy they won in 2014.

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Match Preview

Roberto Mancini has already declared that he is embarking on a rebuild with the Italian side. The game against Argentina saw Giorgio Chiellini play his 117th and final game for the Azzuri.

Mancini will be keen on restoring confidence into a side and nation whose hopes have been shattered over the last three months.

Germany is confident as they have won their last four meetings against tonight’s opposition. Sports Mole reports that the Germans under Hansi Flick scored an average of three goals per game throughout their World Cup campaign.

They will be preparing for the World Cup by facing the two Euro 2020 finalists, Italy and England, before playing Hungary.

Team News

With Chiellini’s exit, Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni is most likely to partner with Leandro Bonucci in the middle of the pack. Marco Veratti sat out of the loss against Argentina and should he recover in time, will be in line for a start alongside Sandro Tonali.

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Mancini will miss the services of Ciro Immobile, Nicolo Zaniolo and Federico Chiesa, who is out with a long-term injury.

Hansi Flick has been able to integrate the younger generation into the side. Nico Schotterbeck is in line to partner Real Madrid-bound Antonio Rudiger, while Karim Adeyemi will be hoping to lead the line ahead of Timo Werner.

Veterans Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller should keep their places in the starting XI.

Possible starting starting lineups

Italy

Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Bastoni, Biraghi; Barella, Verratti, Tonali; Bernardeschi, Belotti, Insigne

Germany

Neuer; Kehrer, Rudiger, Schlotterbeck, Raum; Kimmich, Musiala; Gnabry, Muller, Sane; Werner

Denmark stun France in Paris

Sports Brief earlier reported that France began their UEFA Nations League title defence on a losing note as Denmark stunned them in Paris in a match played on Friday night.

Karim Benzema sent football into a frenzy with a well-taken goal against Denmark in the UEFA Nations League. Benzema danced through the Danish defence, leaving defenders in his wake, to score a superb solo goal in the 51st minute.

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However, that goal was in vain as Andreas Cornelius came off the bench to score twice and condemn the defending World Cup champions to a 2-1 defeat at home.