Leno played in goal for Germany against the four-time World Cup winners in his third full international. Benjamin Henrichs, who made his debut against San Marino, joined Jonathan Tah and Kevin Volland on the subs' bench.
This was the third time Germany have played Italy this year – the two previous matches were won by Joachim Löw and his players with the last victory on penalties in the Euro 2016 quarter-final tie in France.
The game at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium developed into an entertaining encounter as both sides endeavoured to get on the front foot. The best chances for Germany in the first 45 minutes fell to Leon Goretzka (12'), Ilkay Gündogan (27', 32') and Thomas Müller (44'). The Italians had good chances through Rugani (13'), with a long-range effort that did not trouble Leno, and Immobile (25').
In the second half, Löw brought on Bayer 04 central defender Jonathan Tah in place of Mats Hummels and the Italians up the pressure. Kevin Volland came off the bench on the hour mark. The Werkself striker, making his tenth full international appearance, immediately brought life to the German attack. He had a goal chalked off due to an offside decision on 62 minutes and he put a shot just wide of the post on 73 minutes.
The Italians also had very good chances. Leno pulled off a great save on 71 minutes to keep out a shot from Bernardeschi. Shortly after that, luck was on his side as Belotti only hit the woodwork. "I think we can live with 0-0. We could have won with a bit more luck. Overall, I think we put on a great display," said Leno after the game
Draw for Austria, victory for Croatia
The friendly between Austria and Slovakia also ended goalless. Julian Baumgartlinger and Aleksandar Dragovic were in the starting eleven for the hosts. Ramazan Özcan did not play. Baumgartlinger came off at half-time while Dragovic played the full 90 minutes.
Tin Jedvaj played the full 90 minutes for Croatia and produced a convincing performance in their 3-0 win away to Northern Ireland.
Draw for Robbie Kruse and the Socceroos
Robbie Kruse and his Australia team-mates endured a tough shift on Tuesday afternoon. The Socceroos could only manage a 2-2 draw against Thailand in Bangkok. Kruse started and played the whole game. Australia are currently third in the Asia group the World Cup qualifiers but are just one point behind Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Mehmedi on course with Switzerland
Admir Mehmedi and Switzerland played on Sunday in the World Cup qualifiers where they picked up a fourth win in four games. The Swiss beat the Faroe Islands 2-0 and are currently on course to qualify for the World Cup as group leaders. Mehmedi, who hit the post on 78 minutes, played the full game. Switzerland now have a three-point lead over Euro 2016 winners Portugal who they beat 2-0 in the first group match.
Here we go! The new season of the VBL Club Championship by WOW starts on Thursday, 16 October. The games can be seen live on the Bayer 04 app and on the club Twitch channel. Bayer04.de presents an overview of the first opponents for the Leverkusen eSports team in the new season.
Show moreThe autumn holidays attracted a host of Bayer 04 fans to the BayArena on Tuesday, 14 October. An open training session for the Werkself in the morning ended with the players taking time out for selfies and autograph requests from the 160 or so fans in attendance. During a children's press conference organised by Barmenia Gothaer, Werkself player Arthur and Kristin Kögel from the Bayer 04 Women's team fielded questions posed by the youngsters. Meanwhile, a trio of young players from the Leverkusen U19 squad put a smile on everyone's faces at a meet & greet event. And fans enjoyed a range of exciting activities at the Fanwelt.
Show moreThe Werkself host 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 at the BayArena on matchday 10 of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season. The match is on 8 November at 15:30 CET and is a Members matchday. Information on ticket sales.
Show moreThe Werkself host Borussia Dortmund at the BayArena on matchday 12 of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season. The match is on Saturday, 29 November, at 18:30 CET. Information on ticket sales.
Show moreWerkself-TV shows the highlights of the Bayer 04 women's 2-0 win at TSG Hoffenheim on the 6th matchday of the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga 2025/26.
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