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A first-time ballboy was an unlikely hero in Germany’s 3-3 draw with Italy, as he played a major part in the team reaching the Nations League semi-finals on Sunday.

Fifteen-year-old Noel Urbaniak was positioned near the corner flag when Germany was awarded a corner in the 36th minute after Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma tipped a Tim Kleindienst header over the bar.

Donnarumma walked out of his goalmouth to argue together with teammates. Urbaniak quickly threw the ball to captain Joshua Kimmich, who fed Jamal Musiala at the near post to score into the empty net as the Italians sensed the danger too late.

The clever goal for a temporary 2-0 lead brought back memories of the 2019 Champions League match between Liverpool and BBarcelona,where a similarly quickly executed corner kick from Trent Alexander-Arnold to Divock Origi for 4-0 had seen Liverpool advance.

Kimmich praised Urbaniak for his quick reaction and gave him a ball post-match signed “for Joel” and with his autograph, and sporting director Rudi Völler promised Urbaniak a free ticket for the next national team game.

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann spoke of “absolute world class from all three of "them"—Kimmich, Musiala, and Urbaniak.

“I made eye contact with Kimmich and saw that he needed the ball. I immediately threw the ball to him, and then the goal happened. I was enormously happy,” Urbaniak told broadcasters RTL.

Urbaniak said he had never experienced this before because “it was my first time as a ballboy. It feels really good.”

Asked what Kimmich told him, Urbaniak said: “He said thank you that you set me up for the goal.”

Kimmich said, "The ballboy was really alert. He did a good job.

“We reacted very quickly and luckily made the 2-0. Some of our teammates didn’t even realise that the ball was in the net. It happened very quickly,” Kimmich said.

Former Germany captain and TV pundit Lothar Matthäus said during the broadcast: “I have never seen a goal like this before.