Germany's Italian Shock

2-1. Germany have beaten Italy in European Championship qualifying, leaving the Azzurri to absorb a defeat that will sting well beyond the final whistle.

The match was played on 11 September before an attendance of 56,160. The score is stark; the names on either side make it starker. Italy were beaten, and there is no comfort in dressing that up.

For a country that expects its national team to set the standard, this is precisely the sort of result that demands a response. Germany took the win; Italy must carry the questions. What matters now is not a polished explanation, but a sharper answer on the pitch.