Germany, Italy split points

BOLOGNA: Joshua Kimmich’s well-taken equaliser earned Germany a 1-1 draw with Italy in their Nations League opener on Saturday, ensuring his team remains unbeaten under head coach Hansi Flick.

Looking to get over the disappointment of failing to qualify for the World Cup for the second successive time, Italy named an experimental side for its League A Group Three match but gave Flick’s team a real test. Lorenzo Pellegrini put the host ahead in the 70th minute as Italy looked primed to secure only the second win in its last six matches.

However, Kimmich pounced three minutes later to earn his team a point. The stalemate means Germany has won eight and drawn two of its matches since Flick took over from Joachim Low following last summer’s European Championships 2020.

Roberto Mancini mixed things up after Italy’s 0-3 defeat to Argentina in the ‘Finalissima’ in London on Wednesday, with only goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma keeping his place in the starting eleven. But, the new-look team impressed as striker Gianluca Scamacca went closest to a first-half opener with a well-hit strike from 25 metres that clipped the post.

The visitor did waste a glorious opportunity of its own in the opening period, with Serge Gnabry firing the ball over the bar from a good position. Mancini continued to blood young players after the break, with debutant substitute – 18-year-old Wilfried Gnonto – setting up Pellegrini to give Italy the lead. Sloppy defending then cost Italy dearly as it failed to clear a loose ball in the penalty area and Kimmich levelled things up.

Hungary stuns England

A second-half penalty from Dominik Szoboszlai (66’) earned Hungary a 1-0 win over England in Budapest on Saturday – its first victory against the European opposition in 60 years.

RESULTS:A3: Italy 1 (L Pellegrini 70) drew with Germany 1 (J Kimmich 73); Hungary 1 (D Szoboszlai 66(P)) bt England 0

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