Germany needed a Joshua Kimmich equalizer to seal a 1-1 draw with a much-changed Italy team in the UEFA Nations League in Bologna on Saturday.
Roma captain Lorenzo Pellegrini gave the European champions a 20-minute lead from time at the Renato D’Ara Stadium, shortly after Kimmich attacked at the other end.
The stalemate in League A, Group 3, came after England suffered a surprise 1-0 loss to Hungary in the same segment on Saturday.
Germany plays England in Munich on Tuesday while Italy looks to move on after its failure to qualify for World Cup – host Hungary before traveling to face Gareth Southgate’s team in Wolverhampton next weekend.
Roberto Mancini’s team was already in England on Wednesday, losing 3-0 to Argentina at Wembley in the first final, a contest between the European champions and the winners of the Copa America.
Here Italy’s line-up featured 10 changes from that game, with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma being the only player to retain a place in Mancini’s starting XI.
“We were playing against a great team and we matched them,” Mancini, who debuted several players, told broadcaster RAI.
“We have good young players so I am playing with them and hopefully they will improve together.”
David Fratesi was among those brought into the team as a 22-year-old Sassuolo midfielder.
His Sassuolo teammate Gianluca Scamacca, who came off the bench against Argentina, came closest to scoring in the first half against Germany as he hit the post with a drive from short of range 10 minutes before the interval.
Serge Gnabry banged on the other end and introduced the second half of a teenage debut to really bring the game to life for the hosts.
18-year-old Wilfried Gnonto was sent off in the 65th minute in place of Matteo Politano and five minutes later he hit a brilliant ball from the right side to finish first for Pellegrini.
Gnonto left Inter Milan to join FC Zurich last year and has scored eight times to win this season’s Swiss title.
However Germany were back level in the 73rd minute as the home defense failed to clear the ball from Jonas Hoffmann in the middle and Bayern Munich playmaker Kimmich fired.
Only some careful goalkeeping from Donnarumma after that put Italy on level terms and a Paris Saint-Germain shotstopper ended the game in some discomfort and an apparent hand injury requiring treatment.
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