[Euro U17] Germany 2-0 Italy
Germany will take on the Netherlands in Monday's UEFA European Under-17 Championship final in Magdeburg after Reinhold Yabo and Bienvenue Basala-Mazana struck in the last ten minutes to decide their last-four tie against Italy.
The hosts were given their toughest game of the finals in Dessau-Rosslau against an Italy team who, in the national style, have improved as this tournament has gone on.
Both goalkeepers had been made to work before Italy's Mattia Perin was finally beaten by Yabo after superb work from Christopher Buchtmann and Basala-Mazana then became Germany's ninth different finals scorer.
Seven different Germany players had contributed to their nine-goal and nine-point Group B tally and with the return of winger Buchtmann from suspension and forwards Kevin Scheidhauer and Mario Gotze after being rested in the 2-0 defeat of the Netherlands, the hosts began in confident fashion. One lightning combination between Scheidhauer and Gotze brought out some last-ditch defending.
However with the first-half wind behind them, the Italy were ensuring Germany got little room in midfield and Giacomo Beretta was proving a menace, forcing Marc-Andre ter Stegen into a point-blank save from an opportunist strike and then heading wide from Marco Fossati's cross.
Germany were still having their moments, though, Buchtmann – having switched from the left to right flank – setting Thy free to shoot just wide. Italy also threatened in the air, Simone Dell'Agnello heading over from Inter colleague Lorenzo Crisetig's free-kick.
Even with the wind behind them after the interval Germany were not having things their own way though a jinking Buchtmann run and cross found Scheidhauer, whose header was blocked, and not long afterwards the striker's drive was caught by Perin. Dell'Agnello ran on to a Crisetig chip and Ter Stegen did well to claw away the shot.
At the other end Perin got low to deny Scheidhauer while Italy captain Simone Sini's free-kick did not find its way over ter Stegen.
A goal could have come at either end, in the end it was Germany that got it. Buchtmann cut in on the right and crossed low. Perin managed to parry Gotze's initial effort but a scramble ensured and Germany captain Yabo was in position to lash in.
The hosts did not settle for that, though, and after a superb interchange Gotze laid off for right-back Basala-Mazana to seal their place in Monday morning's decider.
Despite losing the chance to reach the final, the Azzurrini will be happy to finish the tournament with a place at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup from 24 October to 15 November.
Germany: Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Bienvenue Basala-Mazana, Marvin Plattenhardt, Robert Labus, Shkodran Mustafi, Christopher Buchtmann, Reinhold Yabo, Lennart Thy (Gerrit Nauber 75), Mario Gotze (Manuel Janzer 78), Matthias Zimmermann, Kevin Scheidhauer (Florian Trinks 67). (Subs not used: Bernd Leno, Abu-Bakarr Kargbo, Niko Opper, Yunus Malli.)
Italy: Mattia Perin, Alessio Campoli, Simone Benedetti, Simone Sini (Michele Camporese 77), Marco Ezio Fossati (Francesco Finocchio 73), Alessandro De Vitis, Stephan El Sharaawy, Simone Dell'Agnello, Felice Natalino, Giacomo Beretta (Alberto Libertazzi 69), Lorenzo Crisetig. (Subs not used: Francesco Bardi, Stefano Baraldo, Vincenzo Camilleri, Leonardo Bianchi.)
REACTION
Pasquale Salerno (Italy coach): "We had a very good tournament and had a great semi-final against Germany. And I believe that they are now bound to win the tournament. We managed to play well and I can't blame my lads for whatever happened today. As I usually say, the physical factor prevailed in the end. In the last ten or 15 minutes, our strength was sapped and that cost us the victory.
"Of course we could have done better. We stormed into the game because we knew we could compete with Germany. Unfortunately we did not make the best of our two or three chances in the first half. I am very satisfied with the game of my players today. Our U17 players unfortunately do not play top-level games like that in the rest of the season, especially from a physical point of view. They suffered so much, but still they kept on helping each other."
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Friday 15 May
Switzerland 1-2 Netherlands
Germany 2-0 Italy
[Group A] - [Group B] - [Semi-Finals/Final]
Source: UEFA
The hosts were given their toughest game of the finals in Dessau-Rosslau against an Italy team who, in the national style, have improved as this tournament has gone on.Both goalkeepers had been made to work before Italy's Mattia Perin was finally beaten by Yabo after superb work from Christopher Buchtmann and Basala-Mazana then became Germany's ninth different finals scorer.
Seven different Germany players had contributed to their nine-goal and nine-point Group B tally and with the return of winger Buchtmann from suspension and forwards Kevin Scheidhauer and Mario Gotze after being rested in the 2-0 defeat of the Netherlands, the hosts began in confident fashion. One lightning combination between Scheidhauer and Gotze brought out some last-ditch defending.
However with the first-half wind behind them, the Italy were ensuring Germany got little room in midfield and Giacomo Beretta was proving a menace, forcing Marc-Andre ter Stegen into a point-blank save from an opportunist strike and then heading wide from Marco Fossati's cross.
Germany were still having their moments, though, Buchtmann – having switched from the left to right flank – setting Thy free to shoot just wide. Italy also threatened in the air, Simone Dell'Agnello heading over from Inter colleague Lorenzo Crisetig's free-kick.
Even with the wind behind them after the interval Germany were not having things their own way though a jinking Buchtmann run and cross found Scheidhauer, whose header was blocked, and not long afterwards the striker's drive was caught by Perin. Dell'Agnello ran on to a Crisetig chip and Ter Stegen did well to claw away the shot.
At the other end Perin got low to deny Scheidhauer while Italy captain Simone Sini's free-kick did not find its way over ter Stegen.
A goal could have come at either end, in the end it was Germany that got it. Buchtmann cut in on the right and crossed low. Perin managed to parry Gotze's initial effort but a scramble ensured and Germany captain Yabo was in position to lash in.
The hosts did not settle for that, though, and after a superb interchange Gotze laid off for right-back Basala-Mazana to seal their place in Monday morning's decider.
Despite losing the chance to reach the final, the Azzurrini will be happy to finish the tournament with a place at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup from 24 October to 15 November.
Germany: Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Bienvenue Basala-Mazana, Marvin Plattenhardt, Robert Labus, Shkodran Mustafi, Christopher Buchtmann, Reinhold Yabo, Lennart Thy (Gerrit Nauber 75), Mario Gotze (Manuel Janzer 78), Matthias Zimmermann, Kevin Scheidhauer (Florian Trinks 67). (Subs not used: Bernd Leno, Abu-Bakarr Kargbo, Niko Opper, Yunus Malli.)
Italy: Mattia Perin, Alessio Campoli, Simone Benedetti, Simone Sini (Michele Camporese 77), Marco Ezio Fossati (Francesco Finocchio 73), Alessandro De Vitis, Stephan El Sharaawy, Simone Dell'Agnello, Felice Natalino, Giacomo Beretta (Alberto Libertazzi 69), Lorenzo Crisetig. (Subs not used: Francesco Bardi, Stefano Baraldo, Vincenzo Camilleri, Leonardo Bianchi.)
REACTION
Pasquale Salerno (Italy coach): "We had a very good tournament and had a great semi-final against Germany. And I believe that they are now bound to win the tournament. We managed to play well and I can't blame my lads for whatever happened today. As I usually say, the physical factor prevailed in the end. In the last ten or 15 minutes, our strength was sapped and that cost us the victory.
"Of course we could have done better. We stormed into the game because we knew we could compete with Germany. Unfortunately we did not make the best of our two or three chances in the first half. I am very satisfied with the game of my players today. Our U17 players unfortunately do not play top-level games like that in the rest of the season, especially from a physical point of view. They suffered so much, but still they kept on helping each other."
SEMI-FINAL RESULTS
Friday 15 May
Switzerland 1-2 Netherlands
Germany 2-0 Italy
[Group A] - [Group B] - [Semi-Finals/Final]
Source: UEFA
posted by italian calcio blog at 19:02
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