Italy 1-1 Germany: Abate strike earns Azzurri draw

Date: 15th November 2013 at 10:53pm
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italy ignazio abateItaly drew 1-1 with Germany in an international friendly at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Milan on Friday night.

Both goals came in the first half with Mats Hummels giving Die Mannschaft the lead before Ignazio Abate scored his first goal for the Azzurri.

Mario Balotelli drew first blood with a run and then a shot from long range but his shot went wide. Soon after he won a free-kick which Andrea Pirlo put just over the bar.

The Germans took the lead after seven minutes when Toni Kroos took a corner from the right and Hummels’ header went in off the far post.

Germany nearly went 2-0 up in a similar scenario but Benedikt Howedes’ header just went wide. Sami Khedira tested Buffon from distance but his shot had hit a post before bouncing off Buffon’s arm.

Italy equalised after 27 minutes through an unlikely source. Andrea Pirlo was dispossessed by Hummels, whose clearance fell to Abate on the right-wing. The AC Milan right-back cut-in, shrugged off Kroos and played a one-two with Leonardo Bonucci before placing his angled left-foot daisy cutter at the far post.

mario balotelli italy germanyBonucci’s error almost gifted Germany the 2-1 lead. His sideways pass was collected by Andre Schurrle outside of the penalty box. The Chelsea winger flicked the ball with his left foot and volleyed with his right but his shot hit the crossbar.

Five minutes into the second half, Pirlo quickly laid the ball off from a short free-kick and Claudio Marchisio’s angled drive was saved by Manuel Neuer at the near post. Minutes later Riccardo Montolivo had a chance but he failed to get clear in the box and fell.

The Azzurri dominated possession in the second half but they struggled to create clear-cut chances. Even the Germans possessed less of a threat in the final third than in the first half.

Kroos and Thiago Motta both received yellow cards in the 80th minute. Motta was fouled by Kroos a melee ensued as players went up to Portuguese referee Olegario Benquerenca. Motta stuck a finger in the German playmaker’s face and after the other players were held back by one of the linesmen, Benquerenca gave out the cards.

Bonucci nearly risked an own goal with a minute left in normal time with a backward header but Gianluigi Buffon quickly pounced on it.

Germany nearly won it at the death through Howedes. After an exchange of passes with substitute Mesut Ozil, the Schalke defender played a one-two with Marco Reus and then took a left-foot shot on the turn. The shot hit the post and from the resulting rebound two German players conspired to miss an open goal.

 

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