The historic rivalry between Italy and Germany has gifted football some of its most memorable moments. As two of the most successful nations in world football, the Azzurri and the Mannschaft seldom encounter one another, but when the two sides do meet, they have a habit of producing unforgettable matches.
As the international break rolls around, the pair will square off in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League. The result of the two-legged tie will not only see one team progress to the semi-finals of the competition, but also will decide which UEFA World Cup qualification groups the teams will play in. The winner will make up Group A with Slovakia, Northern Ireland and Luxembourg, while the defeated team will complete Group I alongside Norway, Israel, Estonia and Moldova.
As Italy look for a first victory over their European rivals since the semi-finals of EURO 2012, FIFA recalls three historic FIFA World Cup™ matches between the pair.
“The Game of the Century”
Italy 4-3 Germany (aet)
Italy goalscorers: Roberto Boninsegna (8), Tarcisio Burgnich (98), Gigi Riva (104), Gianni Rivera (111)
Germany goalscorers: Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (90), Gerd Muller (94, 110)
Location: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
Date: 17 June 1970
The first time the two nations met in a World Cup was at Chile 1962 where the game ended in a goalless draw. However, eight years later the two sides met again in what would be known to many as “The Match of the Century”.
Roberto Boninsegna’s long-range strike in the eighth minute looked to have settled the tie, only for Karl-Heinz Schnellinger to volley home a last-minute equaliser. Gerd Muller scored twice for the Germans in extra time either side of strikes by Tarcisio Burgnich and Gigi Riva, before Gianni Rivera won the match with a well-taken effort from the inside the area just nine minutes from time.
“I also won the European Cup and we won the Intercontinental by risking our lives in Buenos Aires just the year before in the game against Estudiantes,” Rivera would go on to say. “I mean, I loved playing football, loved it, wherever we played or whatever competition we were playing in. Obviously, we then realised that it was much more than just a game. But we understood the magnitude of it all when they told us what was happening in Italy. We had unified the country”.
The final
Italy 3-1 Germany
Italy goalscorers: Paolo Rossi (57), Marco Tardelli (69), Alessandro Altobelli (81)
Germany goalscorers: Paul Breitner (83)
Location: Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
Date: 11 July 1982
The semi-final heroics in Mexico ultimately proved to be in vain as Italy were overpowered in the decider by Pele’s Brazil. A 4-1 loss meant that the Azzurri would have to wait for another chance to get their hands on a third World Cup and, 12 years after their heartache at the Azteca, another unforgettable encounter against Germany saw the trophy return to Rome.
Paolo Rossi, who claimed the adidas Golden Boot and adidas Golden Ball from the tournament, bundled home the opener just before the hour. Marco Tardelli then doubled the advantage just over ten minutes later with a fine strike, which he followed up with his famous “scream” celebration. Alessandro Altobelli added another in the 81st ensuring that, despite a late Paul Breitner consolation, Italy were world champions once again.
“Playing in a World Cup final is something very few players get to do. Playing in one and scoring is even less common. Let alone playing, scoring and winning,” Altobelli went on to tell FIFA. “It’s not enough to just be a part of these games, though, you have to leave your mark on them. West Germany were attacking, but we won the ball back and I remember that I had to keep up with [Bruno] Conti, almost running more than him. He gave me the ball when I was in the box and I waited for the goalkeeper to come out, went past him and put the game to bed. That 1982 generation restored confidence and gave a voice to all Italians from a sporting perspective.”
Another semi-final
Italy 2-0 Germany (aet)
Italy goalscorers: Fabio Grosso (118), Alessandro Del Piero (120)
Location: Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany
Date: 4 July 2006
After several friendlies and European encounters, the pair collided once again in a World Cup semi-final in 2006 where Italy ran out 2-0 winners on German soil.
After 118 goalless minutes in Dortmund, Andrea Pirlo picked the ball up from an Italy corner and threaded it through to Fabio Gross, whose first-time effort flew into Jens Lehmann’s net. Germany desperately scrambled for an equaliser, only for Alessandro Del Piero to finish the game off with a superb second goal.
“You don’t realise it at the time, but after a few years, you realise that you made history,” Del Piero would go on to say. “That World Cup transformed us from regular players to legends. Even now, we still get excited about it. I would never repeat the match against Germany because it was perfect and you could re-play it over and over but it would be impossible to do it the same”.
Italy would add their fourth – and most recent – FIFA World Cup victory after a 5-3 shootout win over France in the Berlin decider.
