England 2-0 Germany
My SBOTOP colleague told me that England were ready to roar.
What’re more, with a Euro 2020 quarter-final place at stake and all bar 2,000 of the 43,000 fans inside Wembley urging them on, this was surely their chance.
A chance for redemption for boss Gareth Southgate, 25 years on from the semi-final penalty shoot-out against the same opponents at the same venue in the same competition.
A chance for Three Lions Euro 2020 highlights to get the country smiling again after a tough 15 months wherever you are in the world.
A chance to send home old adversaries; a nation which arrived at this tournament in turmoil with muddled squad selection, a lack of direction, a coach on his way out and a team which subsequently survived on its wits in the group stage.
Yet, despite being six minutes from elimination by Hungary, a side which showed a combination of determination and glimpses of class as reigning European champions Portugal found out 10 days ago.
And, of course, with character added to class, Germany can never be ruled out.
We were all set for a tense early evening.
Highlights of the game
Southgate opted for a 3-4-3 formation as expected with exciting Arsenal youngster Bukayo Saka retaining his place in attack with Kieran Trippier the only change from the win over the Czech Republic.
There were two changes to the Germany side with Ilkay Gundogan, Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry all on the bench as experienced figurehead Thomas Muller, Leon Goretzka and Timo Werner came into the starting line-up.
Germany started the much brighter and Kyle Walker had to be alert on more than one occasion to anticipate the threat.
When Raheem Sterling forced Manuel Neuer to tip the ball round the post, confidence grew among the hosts and Harry Maguire should have got a header on target from aTrippier cross.
The German threat, though, was always there and it took an impressive block by the legs of Jordan Pickford to deny Werner after the England defence was dissected by Kai Havertz.
If that was Germany’s big chance of the opening half, England’s arrived on the stroke of half-time as a tackle deflected off Sterling into the path of captain Harry Kane who looked to have rounded Neuer and tap into an empty net only for the outstretched leg of Mats Hummels to nick the ball away.
Back to the other end and Pickford brilliantly tipped over a Havertz drive four minutes after the restart as the game threatened to open up.
Whether the sound of England fans booing when Germany enjoyed spells of possession helped or hindered Southgate’s charges is unclear, but certainly it would have been music to Joachim Low’s men.
The longer the contest went on, the harder it must have been for England whose last tournament knockout win over Germany came in 1966, since when the modern day England have become wary of their arch rivals.
As the hour mark passed, the SBOTOP Euro 2020 betting odds remained on a knife edge and the tension increased as the clock ticked.
There was always going to be a defining moment. As it turned out there were two within minutes of each other.
Substitute Grealishspread the ball wide to the excellent Luke Shaw and his pinpoint cross was sidefooted home by Sterling.
The bedlam that followed was within inches of being silenced as Sterling lost the ball which found its way through to Muller who, as time stood still, did everything right but shot just wide.
From almost 1-1, England countered as Shaw and Grealish combined again before it was the latter’s time to produce a superb delivery, headed home excellently by Kane – the skipper, starved of service for most of the day again, proving that class is permanent.
One nation had taken its chances, the other had not.
Wembley was rocking. England believes.
Key Statistics
This was the first time Germany have lost in the last 16 of a major tournament.
Sterling is only the second player to score each of England’s first three goals at a major tournament after Gary Lineker at the 1986 World Cup.
Sterling has scored 15 goals in his last 20 appearances for England, after scoring just twice in his first 45 caps.
Kane has now equalled Wayne Rooney for goals scored at major tournaments for England (seven), with only Lineker (10) and Alan Shearer (nine) netting more across the World Cup and European Championships for the Three Lions.
Kane has scored 30 goals for England under Southgate; only Lineker scored more under a single manager (35 under Sir Bobby Robson).
This was England’s 300th international match at Wembley and their 77th at the new site since it reopened in 2007. The Three Lions have won 188 times at this venue (drawn 73, lost 39), and remain unbeaten in their 15 European Championships or World Cup finals matches at the stadium (won 10, drawn five).
England had never won a European Championships knockout match in 90 minutes until today.
England have kept clean sheets in their last 10 Euro matches at Wembley, qualifiers and final tournament combined.
England have never lost in the finals of a major tournament at Wembley (won 10, drawn four), with that 1996 semi-final against Germany classed as a draw.
What’s next?
A Rome quarter-final with Sweden or Ukraine awaits on Saturday (July 3).
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