While the rest of the world plays World Cup qualifiers, European teams get in a round of friendlies on Tuesday. And of the bunch, the matchup between Italy and Germany is arguably the most intriguing,
Italy vs. Germany 2016: Start time, live stream, TV schedule, and 3 things to know
Two of Europe’s best will experiment with new players on Tuesday.
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This is a rematch of one of the best chess matches of Euro 2016, in which Italy’s back three played some excellent defense, while a superior Germany side made one crucial mistake in giving away a penalty to let the Azzurri back into the game. The penalty shootout was a terrible one, featuring seven misses, including this dancing one by Simone Zaza that became a meme. In the end, Germany prevailed, with Jonas Hector scoring the winning spot kick.
Italy has changed managers since then and is currently searching for their best team, while Germany has extended Joachim Löw’s contract to ensure that the reigning world champions have a bit of continuity.
Game info and where to watch or stream
TV: ESPN Deportes (U.S. -- Spanish), ARD (Germany), RAI (Italy)
Online: WatchESPN (U.S.)
Match Date/Time: Tuesday, 2:45 p.m. ET
Venue: San Siro, Milan, Italy
Three big things to know
- Andrea Belotti can cement a starting place. The 22-year-old striker had a solid first season with Torino, and he’s off to a blistering start this year, scoring eight goals in 10 games. He found the back of the net twice against Liechtenstein in World Cup qualifying over the weekend and now has three goals in four games for his country. It’s possible Giampiero Ventura opts to give other players a look, but Belotti will want the opportunity to prove himself against a top opponent.
- Germany might give some youngsters a shot. While Ventura is still trying to sort out his best XI for meaningful matches, Löw already has a great understanding of what his top players can do and has already sent some veterans home early. That’s why Germany might be a bit more experimental in this game than Italy. Julian Weigl, Max Meyer, Leon Goretzka, Serge Gnabry, Benjamin Henrichs, Jonathan Tah, Yannick Gerhardt, and Bernd Leno are the young Germans on this squad with fewer than five caps.
- Can Mario Götze play himself back into form? Things haven’t gone as planned for Götze since his return to Borussia Dortmund. He’s shown flashes of his former brilliance, but has yet to take over a game like he used to before his move to Bayern. Thomas Tuchel will be hoping he gets an opportunity on Tuesday, makes the most of it, then goes back to Dortmund ready to be a star for them again.
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