It was in the 36th minute of the first half during the second leg of the UEFA Nations League quarterfinal between Germany and Italy, held in Dortmund, Germany, on March 23 (early morning of the 24th Japan time), that a scene unfolded — one that would be rare even in a “Sunday league” match, let alone at the very pinnacle of world football.

In the first leg played three days earlier in Milan, Italy, Germany staged a comeback in the second half to win 2-1. As a result, Italy came into the second leg needing a win away from home. However, backed by nearly 65,000 roaring home supporters, Germany dominated the first half and took the lead in the 30th minute with a penalty. This made the aggregate score 3-1 in Germany’s favour, giving them a commanding advantage.

Germany, gaining momentum, launched another attack just six minutes later. Defender Antonio RUDIGER sent a cross from the right, and forward Tim KLEINDIENST headed the ball. However, Italy’s goalkeeper Gianluigi DONNARUMMA made a brilliant leaping save to parry it away, resulting in a German corner kick from the right.

The broadcast showed a frustrated Kleindienst holding his head in his hands, and then a close-up of Donnarumma asking his teammates: “Why did you leave him unmarked?” This was followed by a replay of Rudiger’s cross.

Then, suddenly, the screen showed a shocking sight: the ball was in Italy’s net and the German players were running towards the right corner in celebration of their goal.

I was watching the match live on a Japanese streaming service, and the commentator in the Tokyo studio seemed as unsure as I was about what had just happened. A few seconds later, judging by the players' reactions, he announced that Jamal MUSIALA had scored the second goal for Germany. It was only then that a replay of the full sequence was shown.

Once the corner had been awarded, Germany’s midfielder Joshua KIMMICH immediately ran towards the right corner. While several Italian players crowded around their captain, Donnarumma, gesticulating wildly and arguing amongst themselves, Musiala, the German forward who had positioned himself in front of the goal to follow up on Kleindienst’s earlier effort, demanded the ball by spreading his arms. Kimmich set the ball down, took a few steps back and, as soon as he spotted Musiala, instantly delivered a kick. The ball bounced once before reaching Musiala, who calmly slotted it into the unguarded net.

Kimmich, who had passed the ball to Rudiger before the cross, was only about 13 meters from the corner flag. He immediately started running to take the corner kick, took five seconds to receive and set the ball, and then took two more seconds to kick it — a total of only ten seconds from when the corner was awarded to when the goal was scored. It was lightning fast.

Germany went on to score another goal before half-time, making it 3-0 for the match and 5-1 on aggregate. However, the tide turned dramatically in the second half. Italy scored in the 49th and 69th minutes, and in the fifth minute of additional time, they were awarded a penalty following a VAR review, which they scored to make it 3-3. Nevertheless, Germany held onto their lead to win 5-4 on aggregate, leaving Italy to wonder what might have been if they hadn’t conceded that goal in the 36th minute.

Kimmich’s quick thinking and Musiala’s calm decision-making were brilliant. But more than that, it was a major blunder by the Italian team, led by their goalkeeper and captain, Donnarumma.

Normally, it takes 20 to 30 seconds to take a corner kick. However, a referee's signal is not required to resume play — a corner can be taken at any time. In the J.League, Yokohama F. Marinos frequently used “quick corners” during the 2019 season, forcing other teams to stay alert at all times. But such tactics are perhaps less common in Europe. Italy had become too accustomed to the “20-30 second” norm and let their guard down.

I believe this sense of complacency demonstrates an attitude of not taking football seriously — which, in other words, shows a lack of respect towards the game.

Written by OSUMI Yoshiyuki (Football Journalist)

*This article was originally posted on the Japan Football Association Newsletter, “JFAnews,” April 2025 edition.

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