England vs Germany drew 3-3 in the Nations League on Monday, with all six goals coming in the second half at Wembley Stadium.
England vs Germany | England enters the World Cup on the back of a thrilling comeback against Germany, but a late error by Nick Pope meant Gareth Southgate’s side had to settle for a 3-3 draw at the end of a frantic second half.
Following their defeat to Italy on Friday, the Three Lions from the top tier of the Nations League. The pressure on Southgate and Harry Maguire appeared to increase after Ilkay Gundogan’s penalty and a stunning Kai Havertz strike.
However, the hosts demonstrated the resilience and ruthlessness that their manager had requested in the lead-up.
To give England hope, Luke Shaw scored their first goal from open play in this Nations League campaign, and substitute Mason Mount equalized eight minutes after falling two goals behind.
When Harry Kane slammed home an 83rd-minute penalty following Nico Schlotterbeck’s foul on Jude Bellingham, Wembley was rocking, but there would be no return to winning ways.
After back-up goalkeeper Pope spilt a Serge Gnabry shot, Havertz tapped in, sending England to Qatar without a win in six but boosted by a much-needed display of skill and spirit.
In a thrilling UEFA Nations League group stage finale at Wembley Stadium on Monday night, England rallied from two goals down to take a brief lead before drawing 3-3 with Germany.
Germany appeared to be victorious after second-half goals from Ilkay Gundogan and Kai Havertz, but Luke Shaw and Mason Mount levelled the score in the final five minutes.
VAR then awarded England a penalty, which Harry Kane converted to give the home team a brief lead before Havertz tucked away his second night to bring the score to 2-2.
Both sides were out of contention for Nations League finals spots, with England already relegated to the competition’s second tier and Germany sitting third entering their final matchday.
Still, the game had added significance for the Three Lions, marking their final tests before the World Cup began on Nov 20th, 2022.
England’s Raheem Sterling had the best chance to score for either team midway through the first half, but his tame effort was palmed away by an onrushing Marc-Andre ter Stegen after a clever cut-back.
England vs Germany Match Recap In Photos
Gareth Southgate’s side remained dangerous on the counter, but there was no result as Sterling fired straight at Ter Stegen after making a full-field run to get onto Kane’s ball into the area.
Germany took the lead early in the 2nd half when Gundogan converted a penalty after Harry Maguire fouled Jamal Musiala in the area.
They were two up 15 minutes later when Havertz curled a perfect shot in from distance that left Nick Pope with no chance.
What appeared unlikely as the clock approached 70 minutes became a reality when Shaw and substitute Mount scored quickly to bring the match back to level terms and bring the home crowd back to life.
Nico Schlotterbeck’s stamp on Jude Bellingham’s ankle earned him a yellow card and a chance for England to take the lead from the spot, which Kane duly did to the delight of the Wembley crowd.
However, Pope mishandled a long-range shot, allowing Havertz to side-foot into the back of the net and tie the game 3-3.
Bukayo Saka broke clear on goal in second-half stoppage time with a chance to win it for England, but Ter Stegen deflected his shot off the crossbar.
In Group B, England will face Iran, the United States, and Wales, while Hansi Flick will lead Germany against Japan, Spain, and Costa Rica.
Flick was disappointed to see a 2-0 lead turn into a 3-2 deficit in 13 second-half minutes, but he was more focused on his team’s late comeback.
“We were quite stable at 2-0,”
Flick said,
“but England brought on a couple of substitutes that made them better offensively.”
“But we must also look at it positively. I told my players they had shown great courage and never gave up, so it felt great to be back.”
Southgate’s side finished third in the group with three points, trailing Germany with seven, Hungary with ten, and Italy, who won the group with 11 points and advanced to the Nations League final four.
Over a century since, England went six competitive games without a win, but this stirring comeback against Germany changed the narrative.
Both teams needed a pre-World Cup pick-me-up after disappointing Nations League campaigns, with England losing 1-0 away to Italy last Friday and Germany losing by the same scoreline at home to Hungary.
Reaction Over England vs Germany Match | Twitter Response
Southgate starting Maguire I over White and Tomori #maguire #southgate #englandvsgermany #ENGGER pic.twitter.com/JKvv6QODJL
— Alex 🃏 (@AlexFulgoni) September 26, 2022
James is having a stinker! 3rd game in a row he has been off it. How does that happen when we have the right backs we do? Trent must be very disillusioned #englandvsgermany
— Sean Moore (@SJMoore1) September 26, 2022
Part 1 Maguire out of his position for no reason @tiktok_us #tiktok #analyst #Maguire #MaguireOut #englandvsgermany #England pic.twitter.com/psEMg3GsIr
— MAN UNITED STAGE (@UNITEDST4GE) September 27, 2022
What a difference a year makes #england #ENGGER #NationsLeague #DieMannschaft #englandvsgermany #tears pic.twitter.com/wFo1vWtKSq
— Shaka Shorey (@ShakaShorey) September 27, 2022
How we all feel when we know you’re starting 😩🤦🏼♀️ #England #englandvsgermany #SouthgateOut pic.twitter.com/vOK8gAc1Vf
— Jo (@swash_jo) September 26, 2022
Watching @England Play is like watching paint dry. Boring! Bring on the lionesses to show how it’s done. ENG getting nowhere with zero skill. Need a new team The players are pure garbage.#englandvsgermany
— ManOfMystery (@MysterymanGB) September 26, 2022
When the two powerhouses last faced off at Wembley, manager Southgate had England riding a wave of ecstasy.
England vs Germany 3-3 | Highlights | Men Nations League
However, the mood has soured due to an absence of goals, with Kane’s last-minute penalty in Germany being their only goal in their previous five Nations League games.