Featured Image Credit: Nations League
Topics: Germany, Italy, UEFA Nations League
Jack Kenmare
Jamal Musiala scored one of the strangest goals of 2025 as Germany extended their lead against Italy following a well executed corner-kick routine.
After recovering from a goal down to beat Italy in the first leg of their Nations League quarter-final on Thursday, Julian Nagelsmann's side ran rampant in the first-half of their second-leg clash in Dortmund.
Joshua Kimmich opened the scoring from the penalty spot and six minutes later, the Germany captain pounced on some slack defending to assist teammate Jamal Musiala, who tapped in from close range.
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As you can see from the footage below, Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma decided to approach referee Szymon Marciniak after saving a header from Tim Kleindienst.
But as he was complaining, the alert Kimmich fired in a quick corner before Musiala converted to make it 2-0 at the Signal Iduna Park. Have you seen anything like this on the international stage?
Here's how fans on social media reacted to the goal.
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One said: "I’ve watched more San Marino games than anyone should really and don’t think I’ve ever seen them concede a goal as bad as this."
A second wrote: "It’s smart from Kimmich and Musiala, but it’s an absurd loss of Italian concentration," and a third commented: "The Italian players not even complaining has killed me wtf."
A fourth said: "CORNER TALEN QUICKLY," and a fifth added: "Jamal Musiala plays the Divock Origi role as Germany catch out Italy—and the TV director—with a lightning-quick corner."
A short time later, Kleindienst put the game to bed as Kimmich delivered another perfectly-weighted cross to the Borussia Monchengladbach striker, who nodded home from close range to make it 5-1 on aggregate.
Speaking ahead of their second-leg clash, Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann referenced their defeat to Italy in the 2006 World Cup as he opened up about their chances.
"I remember 2006 and I'm still not happy that Germany didn't win," he said. "But for me it's more important to talk about the present and not the past. We want to write our own history.
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"I'm not afraid of the Italians' speed. We're in a good mood, we're awake. We have good solutions for this game and then it will be important that we create chances."
Italy boss Luciano Spalletti also gave his take on the game, saying: "We're going to try and do the same things from the start, I'm convinced that, if we manage to have the same behaviour as Thursday, the result will be different.
"It will take something extraordinary because we're starting from a disadvantage, but we need another performance like Thursday's. We don't need to invent the impossible."
He added: "We just need to change a few moments in the game and have some individuals make a difference."