After the Netherlands and Italy, Hansi Flick also remains without a win against England. Nevertheless, the national coach is very happy with the performance of the DFB team in the Nations League. Only a mistake in the final phase clouds the balance of the encouraging evening.
Today, Hansi Flick is the national coach of hope after years of poor progress in German football, when he had just been promoted to the Regionalliga Süd with TSG Hoffenheim. The German and English national teams last met in Munich almost 21 years ago, even before the opening of the modern arena in Fröttmaning, instead in the Olympic Stadium with its unmistakably memorable, beautiful roof. When Carsten Jancker put the DFB team ahead after six minutes on September 1, 2001, the world was still in order, but in the following 84 minutes the 63,000 spectators experienced one of the most memorable evenings in German football in the worst sense of the word.
Michael Owen, who was prevented from a world career by his injury-prone body, scored three goals, Steven Gerrard also, Emile Heskey set the final point – 1: 5 the final score, since then there has only been a worse defeat in November 2020 at 0: 6 in Spain. Incidentally, Flick’s opposite number on the English side today, Gareth Southgate, was in the Three Lions squad that night but was not used. So Germany against England in Munich. In the Nations League, which didn’t exist back then and which very few football fans would miss today.
National coach Flick made seven changes in the starting eleven after the unsatisfactory 1-1 draw in Italy at the start, Southgate changed five positions. England lost 1-0 in Hungary at the weekend, a meeting that drew less attention for the result. Unlike in Budapest, the Munich audience welcomed the anti-racism gesture of the guests, and the DFB team also got on their knees.
About a year ago, the Three Lions ended the era of Joachim Löw in the round of 16 of the European Championship. Thomas Müller’s missed shot was remembered as a picture of Germany’s failure. With his much more offensive approach, Flick has managed to make it feel like this day was a lot longer ago. Compared to the 0:2 at Wembley, this time Germany showed a performance that is fun to watch again. Even if the earned wage slipped out of his hands shortly before the end and Flick remained without a win against big opponents – 1-1 against the Netherlands, Italy and England.
Germany: Neuer/Bayern Munich (36 years/111 internationals) – Klostermann/RB Leipzig (25/17), Rüdiger/FC Chelsea (29/52), Schlotterbeck/SC Freiburg (22/3), Raum/TSG Hoffenheim (24 /7) – Kimmich/Bayern Munich (27/66), Gündo?an/Manchester City (31/58) from 83. Sané/Bayern Munich (26/44) – Hofmann/Borussia Mönchengladbach (29/12) from 65. Gnabry/ Bayern Munich (26/33), Müller/Bayern Munich (32/114) from 75. Goretzka/Bayern Munich (27/43), Musiala/Bayern Munich (19/13) from 65. Werner/FC Chelsea (26/51 ) – Havertz/Chelsea (22/27); Coach: Flick
England: Pickford/Everton (28 years/45 caps) – Walker/Manchester City (32/67), John Stones/Manchester City (28/58), Maguire/Manchester United (29/44), Trippier/Newcastle United ( 31/36) – Saka/Arsenal (20/16) from 80. Bowen/West Ham United (25/2), Mount/Chelsea (23/29) from 72. Grealish/Manchester City (26/22), Rice/West Ham United (23/31) – Phillips/Leeds United (26/21) from 14. Bellingham/Borussia Dortmund (18/14), Kane/Tottenham Hotspur (28/71), Sterling/Manchester City (27/ 75); Coach: SouthgateReferee: Carlos del Cerro Grande (Spain) Goals: 1: 0 Hofmann (50th), 1: 1 Kane (88th, penalty kick after video evidence) Spectators: 66,289 (sold out, in Munich) Yellow card: Schlotterbeck –
3 minutes: First Kai Havertz tries to finish, but Jordan Pickford parries it, then Kieran Trippier plays a bad pass that ends in a corner that almost leads to the German lead at the second post, which Kyle Walker just prevents. Lots of subordinate clauses needed to capture the momentum of those first offensive moves.
7 minutes: Manuel Neuer does what Manuel Neuer does when he is in goal in the Munich Arena. Harry Kane saves from 22 meters and Neuer saves.
9 minutes: Nico Schlotterbeck shows the self-confidence he has built up during his great season at SC Freiburg. After his outstanding performance in the cup final, he also dares to dribble in the build-up game against the European runners-up.
13 minutes: Goal for Germany, but does not count. Referee Carlos del Cerro Grande puts a stop before a throw-in because Calvin Phillips has to give in to pain and sit down and be substituted. He had tried to stand in the way of Schlotterbeck’s dribbling and felt his knee on his thigh. The DFB-Elf throws in anyway, Thomas Müller lupft Pickford – and is then informed by the referee’s repeated whistles that cheering is inappropriate. Instead, Jude Bellingham comes into play.
23 minutes: Goal for Germany, but again does not count. Schlotterbeck chooses the long and high option in his own penalty area, Havertz blocks Harry Maguire away and Jonas Hofmann runs towards Pickford almost from the center line. The Gladbacher hits the goal, but at the same moment the assistant’s flag goes up. Right decision, because Hofmann was a bit too far in the English half when passing.
26 minutes: Uncertainty for Neuer, who cannot hold the ball in the aerial duel with Maguire. Harry Kane does not hit the margin cleanly and aims well over the goal. Good game so far, chances for both sides, slight advantages for the DFB-Elf.
42 minutes: In between, the flow of the game was gone due to a few minor interruptions, now it’s back. The German team has more possession of the ball, but too often the last and decisive pass doesn’t arrive. This time it’s Havertz, who can’t make up his mind between shooting and passing and ends the attack with a storm foul.
45 minutes: Jamal Musiala puts on a strong game and gets the second ball from a free kick, but gets caught by Pickford from a central position.
45 1st minute: The first of eight (!) minutes of stoppage time belongs to Neuer, who saves the goal against Bukayo Saka with a great reflex. The Arsenal attacker shoots from a tight angle, but Neuer’s fist is up before the ball can cross the goal line.
Half time, everyone disappears down the stairs that rise from the lawn: A 0-0 of the better kind, as they say, it could also be 2-2, with the German team tending to lead. National coach Flick also seems to agree with the performance, at least not changing for the second round.
51 minutes, GOOOOOR FOR GERMANY: Counts! The DFB-Elf comes on the right side, Havertz plays the short back pass to Joshua Kimmich, who recognizes the gap in the English defense and exploits it with a direct pass. Hofmann ennobles this pass by turning around and putting so much pressure on the shot that Pickford is still on it, but can no longer prevent the impact.
53 minutes: Manuel! Peter! News! Once again, the 36-year-old shows why many a talented German goalkeeper has secretly wished to play for another country for over a decade. Mason Mount has too much space centrally in front of the goal and chooses the full instep, but can’t get past Neuer’s hands. And yes, Peter is actually his middle name.
70 minutes: Jordan! Lee! Pickford! David Raum promotes himself on the left wing, this time with a precise cross. Müller finds it on the second post, which fails at Pickford from a short distance. The 2-0 would have been deserved long ago, a 1-1 would not do justice to the game shares and would be happy for England.
75 minutes: The chance to make it 2-0 – but Pickford prevents Timo Werner’s goal. The DFB-Elf countered, Havertz played into the run of his Chelsea colleague, but he didn’t get enough pressure behind his shot.
76 minutes: Neuer doesn’t let that sit, the biggest parade of the evening so far. Jack Grealish crosses from the left, Kane slips into the ball at the far post and pulls away. Supposedly the safe equalizer, but Neuer throws his body in between and somehow deflects the shot past the goal. The corner after that brings nothing.
85 minutes: England demands a penalty, Germany counters. Neuer’s further drop reaches Sané, who does not get the pass to Timo Werner in a 2-on-1 game. Referee Del Cerro Grande takes another close look at the scene and decides: Schlotterbeck fouled Kane. penalty.
88 minutes, GOOOOOR FOR ENGLAND: Kane aims to the left, Neuer jumps to the other corner. The compensation. Not necessarily deserved, but the DFB team simply missed scoring a second goal.
You can find the detailed match report here.
A lot, much more than against Italy. National coach Hansi Flick justified the seven changes in the line-up primarily with the long season of his professionals and the often cited load control – but the newcomers made a good impression of wanting to keep their place in the top eleven. David Raum had his left side under control defensively and was so active offensively that he was always involved in good actions.
?lkay Gündo?an again showed one of those games that provide an answer as to why he is indispensable for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Always active, playable everywhere, often with good ideas. Jonas Hofmann rewarded himself with the goal for a strong performance, even scoring twice, albeit once from a narrow offside position. Jamal Musiala was strong at dribbling and earned a round of applause when he was substituted.
Antonio Rüdiger made it clear why Real Madrid were trying to get his services, Nico Schlotterbeck also showed good approaches, but still has to grow to this top level. Everything has long been said about Manuel Neuer’s extra class, but that doesn’t stop the 36-year-old from demonstrating it again this evening. The DFB-Elf seemed much more committed than in Italy, much more determined on the way to goal.
Thomas Müller spoke of a “stupid action” after the final whistle on ZDF, without any accusation against Nico Schlotterbeck being recognizable. Still, it’s no coincidence that it was the 22-year-old who brought Harry Kane down in the 85th minute, prompting the video assistant to intervene. As strong as the future Dortmund player is at times, he still has these dropouts in his game, which was also the case in Freiburg. The foul on Kane was unnecessary and unfortunate – but nobody seems to blame him. Schlotterbeck has to learn from this. His development in recent months gives hope that he will succeed.
And in any case, this misstep in the heels of the English team captain would not have had such serious consequences if the DFB team had put their playful superiority on the scoreboard. But again and again the last pass was missing, as Kimmich brought it to Jonas Hofmann in the 50th minute. Müller had good chances, Musiala too, Werner after his substitution as well, there was a lack of opportunities. “We had chances to score a second or even a third goal, but unfortunately we missed that,” Gündo?an said of the team, who want to draw the right conclusions from the missed win. Because: “It’s also a learning process for us.”
Hansi Flick: “We played a great game and unfortunately we didn’t get our reward. Maybe we could have done one more. You just have to see that we played against England, a top team. The way we play football played is exactly what we want. To be brave, to put pressure on the opponent, that’s exactly what we want.”
Jonas Hofmann: “It’s bitter to still concede the equalizer. We discussed whether you can give it or not. It’s extremely stupid to get the 1-1 afterwards. I think we did reasonably well, created good chances, were active, were aggressive, good in tackles. The start-up wasn’t quite what we had imagined in the first half. I’d still say it was a good game roundabout.”
?lkay Gündo?an: “Honestly, the disappointment that you conceded the equalizer so late and with a penalty kick prevails. We had chances to score a second or even a third goal, but unfortunately we missed it. With a score this close, it can always happen that someone slips through behind. We want to try to do better in the next game. If you want to go back to the top, that can’t happen to us.”
Thomas Müller: “We had good body language, good scenes, good intensity. England aren’t just passing customers, they have good players in their ranks. […] I think we would have been the deserved winners, that’s how it feels “It’s a bitter note, a three would have done us good. But it’s also about the feeling that you build up. […] Consistency and results are part of being a top team and not just calling it off in phases. “
Manuel Neuer: “I think we were completely in control. We dominated the game here. Of course you also get chances against a team like England, who have strong attacking players. Basically, we were the better team and dominated the game and controlled. It’s a shame we didn’t finish the game 1-0 and got rewarded for it.”
Gareth Southgate: “It was a high level game, a big challenge. We showed a lot of character and we had enough chances to earn that goal. I’m happy, Germany are a strong team both athletically and tactically.”
