An improved England performance saw them sneak a 1-1 draw away to Germany at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday night in Match 2 of the 2022/23 Nations League.
Jonas Hofmann gave the Germans what was a deserved lead after 50 minutes. Then Harry Kane converted a penalty for the visitors after 88 minutes to leave the match all square at one goal apiece.
Watching the game, it felt like the Germans were the stronger team overall. And that is reflected in the possession stats, with the hosts having the ball for 63% of the match, and the visitors just 37%
But in attempts on goal, Germany had 10, with 6 on target. Southgate's England had 15, with just 6 on target. So, you can read into statistics whatever way you want.
It would also be expected that as the home side, the Germans would have to make more of the play.
Overall, it was an improved performance from England, compared to their lethargic showing in Hungary. Let’s be honest though, it could hardly have got worse.
I thought the Germans started the stronger, and they certainly dictated the play. But I also believe it’s fair to say that England probably finished the stronger.
At the start of the match, I’m sure Gareth Southgate would have taken a 1-1 draw. With a home match against Italy coming up, the last thing he would have wanted would have been back-to-back defeats.
But in the bigger picture, I thought England were dominated at times. And if they want to be serious about becoming one of the top teams in world football, they still need to learn to keep the ball better. On Tuesday, I thought they were second best in that department.
Germany 1-1 England Match Hightlights - 7th June 2022
Next up for the Germans is a trip to Budapest to face Hungary on Saturday. On the same night, England host Italy at Molineux.