England fought from two goals down to pull off a stunning 3-2 comeback win against World Champions Germany in a thrilling international friendly at Berlin’s Olympiastadion.
Toni Kroos and Mario Gomez, who had a goal wrongly disallowed in the first-half, put the hosts 2-0 ahead inside the hour mark, but The Three Lions rallied late into the game and came away with an unlikely upset as Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Eric Dier turned the tables on Joachim Loew’s side.
Here are the 5 talking points from the gripping clash to ponder over.
1. England’s young guns shine
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With a host of first-team regulars missing from the trip, including skipper and old guard Wayne Rooney, manager Roy Hodgson took a youthful squad to Berlin and it’s hard to point out one player who disappointed. The first XI that he put out seemed quite inexperienced on the paper when compared to that of the Germans, but the visitors tore the script apart with an outrageous comeback..
Although England was quite sloppy during the initial spells of the game and took some time to claw their way back into it, there was no looking back once Kane halved the deficit. The goal gave some hope to the men in red, who then used it to inspire themselves to do the impossible.
Hodgson’s men came out on top in this battle of youth vs experience, as the young guns lit up the Berlin sky.
2.Kane crucial to England’s chances at the Euros
Harry Kane’s rise to prominence from just a fringe player at Tottenham Hotspur in such a short period of time has been well-documented, and after today, there should be little speculation on who should manager Hodgson choose to lead the line at the Euros.
The 22-year old may lack pace as seen even today, but possesses excellent skill to hold up play and has developed great communication with his England team-mates already. Kane dispatched another blinder of a performance that was only iced with a superb goal, and suggested how vital he could be to his side’s chances in France showpiece.
Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck are some of the regular names waiting in the wings, but Harry Kane is going to be no pushover in the star-studded strike force.
3.Germany should wake up from their slumber
The hosts showed the character to win a high-profile game of this magnitude, but the late collapse is what is a matter of concern for Joechim Loew. Germany appeared to fall back on their 2-goal lead, and that’s when all hell broke loose.
The Mannschaft have often been found wanting during the international friendlies, and that’s something they should change. The likes of Australia, USA and France have managed to throw a spanner in their works when instead, they should’ve strolled their way to victory. Their erratic run of form has also affected their world rankings as they’ve been knocked off their perch by counterparts Belgium and now lie 4th in the standings.
Although Germany are still heavy favourites to lift the coveted Henri Delauney trophy at Saint-Denis later this year, they need to bring their A1 game even in the friendlies so that they enter the tournament with optimal spirits.
4.Mario Gomez should lead the line at the Euros
With Miroslav Klose stepping into the sunset post the World Cup glory, the centre-forward spot in Germany is up for grabs. But with Lukas Podolski grossly out of form and Mario Gotze still too young, the stage is set for Mario Gomez to redeem himself, and his career.
The estranged No.23 saw his career go downhill when an injury-ravaged 2013/14 season led to being ostracized from Germany’s World Cup squad for the Brazil mega event, and since then, had been playing in the shadows.
Against England last evening, the 30-year old led the line for the hosts and to gy by the performance he put up, should do the same at the Euros too. The Besiktas forward had a goal disallowed for offside early in the first half but made up for it with a sublime header in the second. Otherwise too, he was one of the better German players going forward.
Expectations are riding high on Joachim Loew’s side for the upcoming tournament. But with Mario Gomez holding the torch upfront, they can live up to it.
5.England finally has an able holding midfielder in Dier
For the first time since 1987, four Tottenham Hotspur players started a game for England, and none disappointed. However, the performance of Eric Dier was one to take note of. The 22-year old impressed in the midfield and gave more than a suggestion that he could be the solution to England’s long persisted problem in the centre.
Post the Owen Hergreaves era, England’s holding midfield has been the Achilles heel. The likes of Steven Gerrard, Jack Wilshere, Scott Parker and Phil Jones have taken up the position in the past, but with little success. But in Eric Dier, they may have finally found a panacea.
The Spurs midfielder was largely successful in shutting out Mesut Ozil, and if he can do that, he can shut out any other in the world.
