The history of encounters between Italy and Germany officially began on 25 January 1984: to prepare for the semi-final of the first UEFA European Championship scheduled in April against Sweden, Italy chose the Germans as their most suitable test, due to their physical and technical characteristics. A satisfying victory ensued in Milan: the first goal against the Germans was scored by Betty Vignotto, the future Hall of Fame player, and on the other side Silvia Neid, the future coach of the German national team, also scored.

Italy, until the end of the 1980s, played on an equal footing against Germany: we won two of the next three home matches, both at the Mundialito, the tournament organised between Veneto and Trentino that pitted the world's best teams against each other: in 1984 (in the final) and 1988 (in the first round, from which the Azzurre went on to beat the USA, who fielded 16-year-old Mia Hamm). Since the 1-0 win in Arco di Trento in that 1988 Mundialito, however, 19 years would pass before Italy managed to beat the Germans again.

It happened only on 14 March 2007, after a series of 16 matches in which there were 9 defeats and 7 draws: the streak was broken at the Estádio José Arcanjo in Olaho, where the decider for 7th place in the Algarve Cup was played: 1-0, with Silvia Fuselli scoring in the final minutes.

There are a total of 28 clashes between the two teams: the balance is all in favour of Germany, which has won 16 matches against Italy's four, with eight draws. Even in the goal tally, the gap is clear: 53 German goals, 21 Italian ones. At the moment there is an open streak of five defeats in a row after the victory in Algarve, with a scoreline of 15 goals to four; in the last three away matches on German soil, moreover, three ‘fivers’ have arrived: twice 5-0 in 2009 and 2011 and 5-2 in 2018.

The match has been played in practically all competitions: friendlies, Mundialito, Algarve Cup, European Championship Knockout and Qualifying stages, World Cup. Only the World Cup Qualifiers and the newborn Nations League are missing. And it was played, too, in stadiums on three continents: Europe, Asia (China), North America (United States). But the most exciting events are all linked to the history of the European Championship, where destiny has pitted Italy and Germany against each other eight times.

Between 1989 and 2017, precisely 8 matches were played: 3 draws (2 resulted in penalties, one win on each side) and 5 German successes. Between 1989 and 1997, the Azzurre and the Frauen Mannschaft found themselves in the semifinals three times and in the final once. It began in the summer of 1989: West Germany (the country's reunification would not take place until the following year) and Italy, already rivals in the group (the Germans finished ahead) found themselves facing each other once more in the semifinals. It was played in Germany, in Siegen on 28 June: after the 1-1 draw (goals from Neid and Vignotto), it came down to penalties. From the penalty spot it ended 4-3 after 7 shots: Ferraguzzi, Morace and D'Astolfo scored, while Carta, Vignotto, Iozzelli and Marsilletti missed.

Two years later, a replay of the semi-final in Denmark: on 11 July 1991 in Frederikshavn, the Germans won 3-0 ( Mohr with a double and Raith one).

The revenge arrived in 1993, in the semi-final scheduled in Romagna, where Italy hosted a UEFA European Championships Final Round for the first and only time (albeit with 4 teams): in Rimini, at the Stadio Romeo Neri on 30 June, it ended 1-1 again after 90th minute (goals from Morace and Mohr), with the Germans down to 10 due to Nardelbach's expulsion in the final minutes. But this time the outcome of the penalties was very different: Salmaso and Ferraguti scored, as well as Marsilletti and Iozzelli, who had missed six years earlier; for the Germans, only Wiegmann, Austemuhl and Pohlmann scored. Italy would go on to be beaten by Norway in the final.

The cycle of decisive matches, those in semi-finals and finals, ended at the Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, where on 12 July 1997, Italy and Germany faced each other in the Final. Fate, unfortunately, was not on our side: as happened in 1993, we had to settle for 2nd place, after the 0-2 defeat (Minnert and Prinz).

Twice in a row, at the 2009 and 2013 European Championships, Italy faced Germany in the quarter-finals. The Azzurre struggled in both time, but were narrowly beaten: 2-1 and 1-0. Most likely, with a different path, Italy could have finished in the top 4 in both tournaments.  The most recent European Championship encounter was in 2017, in the Netherlands, again in the group stage: 2-1 with Ilaria Mauro momentarily giving us the draw (1-1).

Last fun fact: on 18 April 1992, Italy played their only match at the Stadio Olimpico against Germany(1-1), immediately after the Serie A match between Roma and Juventus.

HISTORY IN GERMANY

On Monday the Azzurre will face Germany for the eighth time on German soil, where they have so far collected only 1 draw, the 1-1 (72' Vignotto) on June 28, 1989 in Siegen, in the European semifinal. A momentary draw, because after 90 minutes they went to penalties and from the penalty spot, the Germans won 4-3.

From that day on, five defeats in a row would follow, conceding five goals in the last three.

On 10 November 2018, in Osnabruck, in the last match played away against Germany, the Azzurre registered a 5-2 loss, which had a positive note nonetheless. On that day, Bonansea and Sabatino scored the second and third Italian goals on German soil, putting an end to a goal drought that had lasted since 1989. Between the first and the following two goals in Germany there were little more than 200 km, those dividing the match venues in Rhineland and Lower Saxony, but almost 30 years of waiting - 407 minutes of playing time, to be precise.