Football
PA Sport 8y

Joachim Low delighted Germany bounced back with Italy victory

Germany coach Joachim Low claimed his team had answered their critics with a 4-1 win over Italy on Tuesday night.

After throwing away a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 against England on Saturday, the world champions beat Italy for the first time in 21 years, running out convincing winners in Munich.

"We've not had something like this against Italy for a long time, but we played clever, defended well and attacked well. It was a good game from us tonight,'' Low told ARD television. "All of our players fulfilled their jobs really well.

"We were beating England 2-0 and we just lacked that concentration to go the distance and we were taught a lesson. Tonight we wanted to show we can concentrate for the full game and be disciplined and we did that.''

Mario Gotze, who scored the World Cup final winner against Argentina two years ago but has struggled to hold down a first-team place at Bayern Munich, impressed for the hosts and netted their second of the night.

"I'm delighted, of course,'' he said. "It was important for me to enjoy this game. I've missed this for the last few months due to injury, so it was a pleasure to be involved again. I think it's great that the coach gave me this chance to play and I'm really happy.

"After the England game we wanted to send out a signal today, but for me personally it was important to be back on the field, and to do it in Munich made it all even better.''

Low refused to take the credit for revitalising the forward, though, and said Bayern coach Pep Guardiola had good reason not to give him a regular game of late.

"Gotze has been out a long time injured and I can understand why he has not been playing so much for Bayern, because they've got a strong side,'' he said.

"But he's been training extra hard in recent weeks, putting in extra hours at the training field and I hope this gives him a bit of self-confidence for the coming weeks.''

Italy coach Antonio Conte said tiredness had taken its toll on his team, who were a shadow of the one which had Spain on the ropes for long periods in a 1-1 draw last week.

"If you want to play with rhythm and intensity, you've got to have it in your legs and clearly some of the players paid for the efforts of Thursday,'' Conte told RAI television. "I said before that we needed these big tests to evaluate things and test ourselves.

"Certainly we were up against the best and we've seen that. We worked and gave all we could and now we'll make our evaluations. We knew we had a gap over certain sides that we have to bridge and now let's see the season come to an end and I'll pick the best players available.''

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