UEFA Euro 2016: QF - Germany Vs Italy Live Discussion Thread

QUARTER FINALS

GERMANY

Vs

ITALY

Germany will take on Italy in the 3rd quarter final match of Euro 2016 Championship on July 3rd, Saturday. Germany qualified for the quarter final match after defeating Ireland in Round of 16. On the other hand, Italy reached quarter final after defeating Spain 2-0 ..

While Wales will still be basking in the afterglow of their brilliant win over Belgium in the quarterfinals of Euro 2016, and looking to join them in the semifinals will be two of the biggest teams in Europe - Germany and Italy. In the most awaited quarterfinal clash, the world champions and the former World Cup and European Championship winners go head to head in what should be a match that sets this Euro 2016 tournament alight.

Germany have cruised through Euro 2016 in autopilot, doing what they need to do to get to the quarterfinals, while Italy have put in two of the best performances of the tournament so far. They started their Euro 2016 campaign with a thoroughly impressive win over Belgium, before Antonio Conte's men taught the defending European champions a footballing lesson in the round of 16.

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD :- Germany VS Italy

Total Games played between the two teams : 33 | Germany Won : 8 | Italy Won : 15 | Draw : 10.

Last meeting (29 Mar 2016) : Germany v Italy : 4 - 1 (Germany won)..

Italy have played Germany eight times in major tournaments and never lost. In four knockout matches they have beaten the Germans four times, with the last coming in the Euro 2012 semi-finals. It's a daunting record, but the mantra coming out of the German camp this week has been one of spiky indifference.

Germany Team News -

Germany have five players - Joshua Kimmich, Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, Sami Khedira and Mesut Ozil - in a similar position, but, crucially, Joachim Low does not have any injury concerns ahead of this crunch match, with Boateng, Khedira and Julian Draxler all recovering from minor knocks.

Germany: Predicted Line-up -

Neuer; Kimmich, Boateng, Hummels, Hector; Kroos, Khedira; Muller, Ozil, Draxler; Gomez.

Italy: Team News -

Italy, though, will go into this match with a bit of a worry over their key midfielder Daniele De Rossi, who is a major doubt with a thigh injury. If De Rossi, who was forced off with the injury against Spain, misses out, Stefano Sturaro is the one expected to fill his place in the Italy lineup, owing to Thiago Motta being suspended and Antonio Candreva being ruled out with an adductor injury, which also kept him out of the win over Spain.

Italy: Predicted Line-up (4-4-2)

Buffon; Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini; Florenzi, Sturaro, Parolo, Giaccherini, De Sciglio, Pelle, Eder.

Germany Facts -

• Germany have reached at least the semi-finals in their last five major tournaments. They last time they failed to do so was at Euro 2004 (they were eliminated in the group stage).
• They have won 14 of their last 17 games at major tournaments, drawing two and losing one (a 2-1 defeat against Italy in the semi-finals of Euro 2012).
• Germany are the only team yet to concede a single goal at Euro 2016. The only previous time they kept clean sheets in their first four games at a major tournament was in the 1978 World Cup.
• The last player to score past Manuel Neuer in a major tournament was Oscar in the 2014 World Cup semi-final against Brazil - a run of 480 minutes.
• Thomas Muller hasn't scored a goal in nine games at the Euros. He has 10 goals in 13 World Cup games.
• Mario Gomez has scored five goals at a Euros, the joint-most for Germany along with Jurgen Klinsmann.
• Gomez has scored 21 goals in his last 27 starts for Germany, including one in each of his four starts in 2016.
• Bastian Schweinsteiger could equal Miroslav Klose's record of featuring in 37 matches at a World Cup and European Championship finals.

Italy Facts -

• Italy have kept 19 clean sheets in 37 matches at a European Championship finals, more than any other team in the history of the tournament - just ahead of Germany (18 clean sheets in 47 games).
• They have already won three games at Euro 2016, their highest tally (excluding penalty shoot-outs) at the tournament since Euro 2000 (four wins).
• Italy's only previous game in Bordeaux in a major tournament was a 2-2 draw against Chile in the 1998 World Cup group stage.
• Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci are the only players to have started all four of Italy's games.
• Graziano Pelle's two goals at Euro 2016 have come in the 92nd and 91st minute.