Italyvs.Germany

These are the two most successful European nations when it comes to major honours, winning four World Cups each, including one in each other's backyard, and enjoying further glory in the European Championship.

Clashes between the two have also gone down in footballing folklore across multiple generations, with the Azzurri often getting the better of Die Mannschaft, but the tide has been turning in recent years.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between these two powerhouse European nations.

Head-to-head record

Previous meetings: 37

Italy wins: 15

Draws: 12

Germany wins: 10 (1 on penalties)

Competitive head-to-head record

Previous meetings: 11

Italy wins: 4

Draws: 5

Germany wins: 2 (1 on penalties)

Italy have enjoyed a dominant major-tournament record against Germany over a number of decades, with Die Mannschaft unable to get the better of the Azzurri until the ninth attempt.

That came in Bordeaux at Euro 2016 when a farcical penalty shootout saw Germany progress to the semi-finals, winning 6-5 on spot kicks after both took nine, with Simone Zaza and Graziano Pelle's penalties going down in history for all the wrong reasons.

However, on the biggest stage, Italy often edge it, like they did in two of the greatest World Cup knockout matches of all time in 1970 and 2006, as well as the 1982 final.

Stages do not get any bigger in football than the World Cup final, and after beating heavy favourites Brazil to reach the showpiece occasion in Madrid, Italy were 3-1 winners over Germany in a fixture that gave us Marco Tardelli's famous strike and subsequent celebration.

Twelve years earlier, the two played out a match which would go on to be dubbed the "Game of the Century" at the Azteca in the 1970 World Cup semi-finals, where Italy won 4-3 after extra time.

Karl-Heinz Schnellinger forced an additional 30 minutes with a last-gasp strike in regulation time to make it 1-1, before unquestionably the great period of extra time in history, which saw five goals and Italian greats Gigi Riva and Gianni Rivera score to help the Azzurri on their way, before eventually losing to that famous Brazil team in the final.

The semi-final in 2006 was a masterclass in a very different way, as the tension throughout 119 minutes at the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund could be cut with a knife, before Fabio Grosso's dramatic late strike which sunk the host nation and denied them the chance to play a final on home soil.

Just a minute later, Alessandro Del Piero finished off one of the finest counter-attacking goals in World Cup history to put the tie to bed, and Marcello Lippi's unfancied Azzurri would go on to beat France in Berlin, sealing a fourth World Cup title.

Germany were put to the sword by Italy once again at Euro 2012 in the semi-final in Warsaw, with Mario Balotelli stealing the show with two stunning first-half strikes that were enough to seal a 2-1 win, but sadly for the Azzurri, they could not replicate the success from 2006, and were beaten by a dominant Spain in the final.

The next clash between the two will be in the UEFA Nations League knockout stage, and that is the competition where they met most recently after that Euro 2016 quarter-final encounter, and Germany claimed bragging rights, thumping Italy 5-2 in Monchengladbach after initially leading 5-0 shortly after the hour mark - recording their first-ever competitive win over the Azzurri in regulation time.

Last 20 meetings

Jun 14, 2022: Germany 5-2 Italy (UEFA Nations League Group Stage)

Jun 04, 2022: Italy 1-1 Germany (UEFA Nations League Group Stage)

Nov 15, 2016: Italy 0-0 Germany (Friendly)

Jul 02, 2016: Germany 1-1 Italy (6-5p) (Euro 2016 Quarter-Final)

Mar 29, 2016: Germany 4-1 Italy (Friendly)

Nov 15, 2013: Italy 1-1 Germany (Friendly)

Jun 28, 2012: Germany 1-2 Italy (Euro 2012 Semi-Final)

Feb 09, 2011: Germany 1-1 Italy (Friendly)

Jul 04, 2006: Germany 0-2 Italy (World Cup Semi-Final)

Mar 01, 2006: Italy 4-1 Germany (Friendly)

Aug 20, 2003: Germany 0-1 Italy (Friendly)

Jun 19, 1996: Germany 0-0 Italy (Euro 96 Group Stage)

Jun 21, 1995: Germany 2-0 Italy (Friendly)

Mar 23, 1994: Germany 2-1 Italy (Friendly)

Mar 25, 1992: Italy 1-0 Germany (Friendly)

Jun 10, 1988: West Germany 1-1 Italy (Euro 88 Group Stage)

Apr 18, 1987: West Germany 0-0 Italy (Friendly)

Feb 05, 1986: Italy 1-2 West Germany (Friendly)

May 22, 1984: West Germany 1-0 Italy (Friendly)

Jul 11, 1982: Italy 3-1 West Germany (World Cup Final)

Previous UEFA Nations League meetings

Jun 14, 2022: Germany 5-2 Italy (Group Stage)

Jun 04, 2022: Italy 1-1 Germany (Group Stage)

Written by

Andrew Delaney