Moise Kean admitted his team "got distracted" after Germany's Jamal Musiala scored an easy goal into an empty net when absent-minded Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma left his post to argue with the referee during Sunday's Nations League quarter-final.
Germany saw off Italy 5-4 on aggregate following a 3-3 second-leg draw to reach the semi-finals.
Joshua Kimmich, who scored the first goal for Germany, played a key role in the bizarre second.
Donnarumma left his goal after making a save to complain at the referee.
Kimmich, seeing the Italian keeper had drifted off his line, took a quickly-taken corner which was flicked into the empty net by Musiala.
"We got distracted. It can happen to concede goals like that. We'll work better on it next time," said Italy striker Kean who scored twice in the second half as Italy rallied from a 3-0 interval deficit.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said the quick thinking was "world-class and unbelievably smart," and admitted "I didn't see it at all".
His Italian counterpart Luciano Spalletti blasted his team's lack of maturity.
"We saw that they take corners quickly and must not turn our backs," said Spalletti.
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