Tonali: Italy Must Remain Optimistic Despite Loss to Germany

Sandro Tonali has urged the Italian national team to maintain a positive outlook following their 2-1 defeat to Germany in the Nations League quarter-final first leg. The Newcastle United midfielder believes the tie is still open and emphasizes the importance of not losing morale.

“It was an unusual match. We played well, especially in the first half where we tried to keep things simple,” Tonali commented. “Unfortunately, we continue to struggle with set pieces and aerial duels. We need to work on this, but there’s still everything to play for in the second leg. We must stay positive.”

Italy took the lead through Tonali’s well-crafted goal, but Germany responded with headers from Tim Kleindienst and Leon Goretzka to secure the victory. Despite the setback, Tonali remains confident in Italy’s chances.

Tonali Encourages Team to Keep Faith

“We need to acknowledge our weaknesses in dealing with set pieces, but at the same time, we must remember our strengths,” Tonali stated. “It’s crucial that we raise our heads, roll up our sleeves, and remember that this tie isn’t over yet.”

The return leg is scheduled for Sunday evening in Dortmund. Although Italy lost 2-1, they created several promising opportunities and forced more saves from German goalkeeper Oliver Baumann than Germany did against Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Tonali added, “We have another 90 minutes to play. We must improve in all aspects, be more clinical and determined. If we had managed to score a second goal, it could have been a completely different game. This is football, and we can’t afford to let our heads drop now.”

It has been a remarkable week for Tonali, who recently won the Carabao Cup with Newcastle United before scoring an important goal for Italy at his former home ground, San Siro, where he used to play for AC Milan.