Goals from Toni Kroos and Mario Gomez were not enough to finally earn Die Mannschaft a win over England in Berlin. After Kroos had fired the home side ahead just before half time in front of 72,000 fans at the Olympiastadion and Gomez had doubled their lead after the break, goals from Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and a late header from Eric Dier meant that Joachim Löw’s side left the field defeated.
Germany struggled to get into the game in the face of England’s high pressing in the opening minutes – but it was Sami Khedira who had the tie’s first big chance when the stand-in captain saw his shot from the edge of the box blocked over the bar. The Three Lions kept piling on the pressure on Manuel Neuer’s goal, but the home side’s defence was sturdy enough to withstand England’s energetic attacks.
Gomez called offside, Kroos finds the corner
Mats Hummels almost latched on to a loose ball in the box before Dele Alli fired over from a good position – but the game truly came to life in the 28th minute, when Sami Khedira slipped in Mario Gomez who coolly finished past Jack Butland. However, the fans’ celebrations were cut short when the assistant raised his flag and the goal was chalked off for offside.
Nevertheless, there was no question about whether the goal would stand the next time the ball hit the back of the net. Kroos picked up the ball in the middle of the park and drove forward before unleashing a precise left-footed strike from 25 yards, which crept in past Jack Butland at the near post to give Germany the lead just before the break. Mario Gomez had a great chance to double the hosts’ lead on the stroke of half time, but his shot from inside the box was blocked acrobatically by Danny Rose.
Tah makes his debut, Gomez heads home
Joachim Löw sent on centre back Jonathan Tah to replace Mats Hummels for the second half, handing the 20-year-old his senior international debut. Germany almost made it two at the beginning of the half when Marco Reus’ free kick from deep missed everyone and was tipped over by Fraser Forster, who had replaced the injured Jack Butland in goal for England. Manuel Neuer was in top form at the other end, denying Alli’s long-range strike.
It was end-to-end stuff in Berlin – Jordan Henderson saw his shot from inside the area blocked by Jonas Hector and England looked to be having all the pressure, but it was the World Champions who got the next goal of the game when Khedira’s inch-perfect cross was nodded in by Mario Gomez on the hour mark. It was Gomez’s first goal since he hit a brace against the Netherlands at the European Championship on 13th June 2012.
England turn it around
But that was as good as it got for Joachim Löw’s side. Harry Kane turned sharply in the box and fired home in the bottom corner to give England a glimmer of hope just three minutes after Gomez’s goal, before Neuer came to the rescue to deny Dele Alli yet again.
However, Neuer was powerless to stop substitute Jamie Vardy’s cheeky near-post flick five minutes later – the Leicester City striker got ahead of Antonio Rüdiger to sweep home a Nathaniel Clyne cross and level the game at 2-2. The visitors continued to push right until the final whistle, and their pressure paid off in added time when a Jordan Henderson corner was powerfully headed home by Eric Dier. 3-2 to England and lots to think about for Joachim Löw in Berlin – but it was only a friendly after all.