You have to hope this home Italian crowd is patient with their side, recognising this is a transitional period. Might be too much to ask. They have high expectations where their football is concerned.

Image source, Getty Images

Germany very much bossing possession in these opening stages.

You have to love a stadium without a roof like Bologna's Stadio Renato Dell'Ara. You need the climate for it, of course, as anyone who has been in the away end at Barnsley in December in year's past will tell you.

Germany are straight on to the front foot. The Italian defence creaks a bit but ultimately stands firm to see off the initial threat.

Well, that result in Hungary has somewhat blown this Nations League group open. It looked initially as though England, Germany and Italy would be the three battling it out to top the standings.

I have to warn you, I've been a bit ill last few days and I'm dosed up on every cold and flu medicine I can get my hands on. There's a chance this live text could see me go all fever dream Lisa Simpson at Itchy and Scratchy Land. If I start declaring that 'I'm the Lizard Queen' then someone please call a doctor.

Strap in, the game is under way!

Italy's rebuild job gets under way in earnest as Roberto Mancini fields a young, inexperienced side, with the likes of Lorenzo Insigne, Jorginho and Marco Verratti released from international duty.

Leonardo Bonucci's absence at centre-back does not help, but they do pair the promising Alessandro Bastoni with the more senior Francesco Acerbi.

Sassuolo's Davide Frattesi makes his debut in midfield, while the forward line is made up of his club-mate Gianluca Scamacca, Napoli's Matteo Politano and Lorenzo Pellegrini or Roma, who have 35 caps between them.

Germany's starting XI is a more established one. They are just fine tuning for Qatar.

Chelsea's Timo Werner leads an attack that also includes Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry and Thomas Muller.

Niklas Sule partners recent Real Madrid signing Antonio Rudiger in the centre of defence. The least experienced player is RB Leipzig's 25-year-old Benjamin Henrichs at left-back.

Germany know a thing or two about rebuilds. In 2014, they had to undergo a similar process to Italy under Joachim Low (albeit not from quite the heights that Italy reached so recently).

They are on the verge of something quite exciting now, though, with Hansi Flick unbeaten in nine games as manager - although, granted, the opposition wasn't fierce in Qatar qualification.

They still have some wily, old characters such as Thomas Muller and Antonio Rudiger, but the likes of Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane and young Jamal Musiala they have skill and pace aplenty in attack.

Image source, Getty Images

Italy played as recently as Wednesday, but I'm sure they would rather forget about it.

They were beaten comfortably by Copa America winners Argentina in the Finalissima at Wembley. 3-0 was the final scoreline, but it could easily have been more.

It was also a game that saw the Azzurri bid farewell to one of the modern game's great defenders, with Giorgio Chiellini playing 45 minutes before retiring.

His experience, grit and talent at the back is just one of the things they need to find a suitable replacement for in this current rebuild of the side.

Just a few months earlier at Wembley, Roberto Mancini's side were dancing around as champions of Europe. Things have gone south very quickly.

Italy and Germany. Two of global football's true big hitters, with 13 major international titles between them.

Often they have met at the latter stages of tournaments, in tight contests.

Tonight, though, they are at different stages of their current evolution as international sides.

Germany are on a high, on an unbeaten run with an exciting young side, looking optimistically to Qatar at the end of the year.

Italy are rebuilding, a shadow of the team that won the European Championships last year and set that world record unbeaten run. There will be no World Cup for them in December.