Germany coach Nagelsmann: We must beat Italy first in the UEFA Nations League

The first round of the UEFA Nations League quarterfinals in the 2024/25 season will be staged, and the "German War Machine" Germany will go to the San Siro Stadium to challenge the "Blue Army" Italy. Nagelsmann said that his team will aim for the championship, but also stressed that they must defeat Italy first.

In Group 3 of Level A, Germany advanced to the quarterfinals with an unbeaten record of 4 wins and 2 draws, while Italy successfully advanced with the second place in the group.

In terms of head-to-head record, Germany has achieved 3 wins and 2 draws in the last 5 matches against Italy, so it has some psychological advantages.

Germany coach Nagelsmann said, "I have always emphasized that it is very important for us to get used to winning. We want to win as many games as possible and compete for the UEFA Nations League, but we also know that Italy is a very strong opponent. We must beat Italy first before we can talk about the championship."

"We will observe the course of the game and will not be too obsessed with tactics. We want to win both games. We cannot predict what is needed. I also saw that Retegui withdrew from the Italian squad, which may change the situation. We have to see how Italy will adjust."

Nagelsmann, 37, said: "Tomorrow's game will be difficult, but we want to attack and score goals. We must also defend well, but the offense and defense must be balanced. All players need to participate in offense and defense at the same time. This is our tactical concept."

"I don't think Italy will lag behind in this regard, but I think all clubs should give opportunities to young coaches. Spalletti is older than me, but he is a great coach. Maybe in the future, Italy will also have a young national team coach."

In addition, Nagelsmann also said, "Spalletti has a very clear idea of football. He did a great job when he coached Napoli, and Italy, which he coached, also played very good football. Even if some players play more defensively in the club, under his system, Italy's offense is also very aggressive."

"Italy are very strong defensively, but that's nothing new. Rudiger told us about his experience in Italy, how their defence can press high, but also sit back, have strong pressing, but also have excellent overall balance.

As for the lineup and goalkeeper selection, Nagelsmann shared, "We have to make a decision. Oliver Baumann is more stable, but Alexander Nibel also understands this. Kimmich will continue to play as a right back. We analyzed the European Cup games and he was the best right back at the time. I have no reason to adjust him back to midfield."