Former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann had to know things would not come easy for the German national team when they faced off against Italy at San Siro.

After a slow start, the determined Germans rallied behind some unlikely heroes to capture the victory. Even when Nagelsmann pushes the wrong buttons to start, he ends up coming out a winner. Here are some quick hitters on the match:

• As always, let’s begin with a look at the starting XI:

• Hmmm. There was an odd and unexpected selection and it did not work out with Nadiem Amiri. Jonathan Burkardt also never got on track. Pascal Groß got a surprise start over Angelo Stiller and was just okay. David Raum got the nod over Maximilian Mittelstädt and the RB Leipzig star struggled. Otherwise, it went as expected.
• Germany struggled right out of the gate, which was expected. This was a group that had not played together and the attack lacked chemistry, while the midfield was error prone. Defensively, things were also a little disjointed in the early going.
• The early scuffling led to an early goal from Italy in the 9th minute. Raum got caught ball-watching, while also putting himself into a poor position. All of that allowed a pass from Nico Barella to slip behind him. Jonathan Tah was able to get a foot on the ensuing pass, but Tah’s effort ended up on the foot of Sandro Tonali, who made it 1-0.
• Raum was super-aggressive with getting up into the attacking zone, which seemed like it could eventually turn into a problem for the Germans. Fortunately, nothing would come of it.
• There was a lot of interchanging within the attack and it did not seem as if the four starters were all that comfortable in playing together. Leroy Sané had a very challenging game overall. As we have seen at different points with Bayern Munich this season, Sané just was not all that effective.
• The German attack really, really missed Florian Wirtz. Italy was able to focus on making life hell for Jamal Musiala. It would be tough for either Wirtz or Musiala to carry the attacking load on their own in a way that Nagelsmann is asking them to right now.
• In the 15th minute, Leon Goretzka should have made it 1-1, but his header was not hit hard and blooped over the crossbar. Goretzka also rifled a shot in the 20th minute toward net, but Gianluigi Donnarumma handled it with relative ease.
• Germany dominated possession in the first half, but just could not find a way to take full advantage of it.
• Oliver Baumann was terrific on the day. At a time where there was debate on whether or not Baumann should start over Alexander Nübel, Baumann made a convincing argument that he is “The Man.”
• Baumann’s 30th minute save on Tonali was sensational. Just a few minutes later, Baumann was at it again in stopping Moise Kean.
• Upon entering the match after halftime, Tim Kleindienst was an immediate upgrade over Burkardt. Burkardt never got into a rhythm with his fellow attackers and, unfortunately, will be judged more on the lack of cohesion in the attack than his individual performance.
• Nico Schlotterbeck also came in after the half in place of Raum, which was a bold move for Nagelsmann, who was likely not happy with the left-back. Schlotterbeck put in a very solid shift.
• In the 49th minute, Kleindienst knotted the game for Germany, who looked as if it was on a mission. Kimmich sent in a long, looping cross from the right-side and Kleindienst perfectly positioned himself between two defenders, got up, attacked the ball, and scored on a tremendous header.
• In the 53rd minute, Musiala shouldered Matteo Politano harder than he has ever hit another player.
• Baumann was at it again in the 67th minute when he made yet another massive stop — this time against Giacomo Raspadori.
• In the 76th minute, Goretzka rose up and flicked Kimmich’s corner past Donnarumma to make it 2-1 and give Germany the margin it would need to win the match.
• You have to hand it to Kimmich. After not playing right-back for months, he seamlessly transitioned to the position with ease. With two assists, the Bayern Munich star had a fantastic match.
• Goretzka was a headache for Italy to deal with and only lost possession four times, which is incredible for a midfielder. If you wanted to critique Goretzka’s performance, you could argue that he needed to get on the ball more as he only had 67 touches in the match.
• Robert Andrich brought some energy for the game’s final few minutes. Given that Groß did not assert himself, Andrich or Stiller could get the nod for the second leg.
• Overall, you have to take the win and run. This was a banged up Germany squad that probably had no right in winning this match on the road. Nagelsmann will have some very difficult decisions to make for his lineup ahead of Sunday’s second leg. The coach will also have to sort out how to get more out of his attack — which might mean straying from some of his favorites like Sané.

If you missed our Initial Analysis, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen:

Newcastle United is not ready to let Alexander Isak go just yet:

Newcastle are “adamant” that Alexander Isak will stay at the club this summer, according to the Daily Mail. The club’s chairman, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, has informed the hierarchy that all offers must be resisted for the 25-year-old, who was watched by scouts from Barcelona during the 1-0 Premier League win over West Ham United last week. Isak has three years remaining on his contract at St James’ Park, and he has also been linked with Liverpool and Arsenal.

Bayern Munich and Tottenham Hotspur could lock horns over Fenerbahçe SK defender Yusuf Akçiçek:

According to a claim in the Turkish media, Bayern Munich are the latest club showing interest in Fenerbahce defender Yusuf Akçiçek. The youngster has been linked with a move to the Premier League following reports Tottenham Hotspur have been monitoring the 19-year-old.

Fanatik today report on Bayern’s links with Akçiçek, and they say the Bundesliga leaders sent a scout to watch him last weekend when Fenerbahce took on Samsunspor in the Super Lig.

However, like when Tottenham sent officials earlier this season to watch the central defender against Antalyaspor, Jose Mourinho left the player on the bench.

Again, Spurs’ interest in the player has been reported by Fanatik, along with Premier League rivals Manchester United. French giants PSG are also said to be monitoring the situation with the Turk.

Matchday 26 had it all—last-minute drama, shock results, and fan protests! In this episode, we dive into:

• Can Bayer Leverkusen finally dethrone Bayern Munich?
• FC Augsburg’s record-breaking defence.
• Eintracht Frankfurt’s ultras and the 50-minute delay in Bochum.
• …and much more!

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany was thrilled to see Joshua Kimmich sign a new deal last week.

“I’m always happy when it’s just about football. That discussion is now over and it’s now just about football. That’s the ideal situation. The important thing is what the players do in training, in the changing room and at the weekend. Jo has done very well. I’m pleased for Jo and the club,” said Kompany.

Atlético Madrid might be looking at making a play for Liverpool FC attacker Darwin Núñez:

A move for Liverpool striker Darwin Núñez is under consideration by Atlético Madrid, according to TEAMtalk. The LaLiga club are believed to be keen to land a forward in the summer, and it is reported that the Reds are open to accepting an offer for the 25-year-old, who has scored five goals in 23 Premier League appearances this season. Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta is also on Atleti’s radar.

Chelsea FC is hosting Jadon Sancho on a loan assignment, but might be willing to take a penalty instead of exercising an obligation to buy the former Borussia Dortmund attacker:

Chelsea are giving serious thought to paying the penalty fee to back out of their obligation to sign Jadon Sancho permanently from Manchester United after being underwhelmed by the on-loan winger’s form.

Bayern Munich sputtered into the international break with an unexpected 1-1 draw on the road with Union Berlin.

We’ll talk about that and some of the other burning issues going on with the Bavarians at the moment. This is what we have on tap for this edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works Show:

• Why did Bayern Munich look so unfocused and fall apart against Union Berlin? Let’s discuss.
• It’s not time to worry about Jonas Urbig.
• Why is Vincent Kompany still so reluctant to rotate?
• Leroy Sané’s last minute rush for a new contract is upon us.
• Eric Dier could get a new deal, but it still feels unlikely.
• Who from Bayern Munich is unsellable?
• Oh yeah, it’s a race again.

Former Bayern Munich midfielder Lina Magull has decided to end her international career with the German national team:

Could Liverpool FC center-back Virgil van Dijk potentially join Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne on his rumored move to San Diego FC in MLS?

Maybe:

Liverpool and Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk could be set for a move to Major League Soccer (MLS) this summer, ending his decade-long Premier League career, according to L’Equipe. With his contract expiring alongside those of Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk is reportedly considering an MLS move, attracted by the American culture.

This follows a report from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal who reportedly made a €20 million offer. He has won several major trophies with Liverpool, including the Premier League title and Champions League.

Van Dijk’s potential move might not be an isolated incident. Manchester City captain Kevin De Bruyne, whose contract is also expiring, has been linked with San Diego FC.