Germany’s last competitive fixtures before the World Cup are over following a 3-3 draw with England in London. With it came a humble reminder that Germany's World Cup aspirations must be tempered with realism.
England 3-3 Germany (Shaw 72', Mount 75', Kane pen 83' - Gündogan pen 52', Havertz 67', 87') Wembley Stadium
(DW) For seven weeks, Hansi Flick will sit with the sound of Harry Kane’s penalty hitting the top corner. It was the sound of the curtain being pulled back as the ugly truth of this Germany side was revealed. Thirteen games unbeaten is all well and good, but in the last two competitive games before the World Cup in Qatar Germany’s form has abandoned them.
In the end, a draw flattered Germany and when Kane converted from the spot it marked an 11-minute spell in which Germany went from leading 2-0 to deservedly being 3-2 down.
On the surface, this game delivered everything both sides needed ahead of a World Cup. Both scored lots of goals, both tested themselves against a top opponent and both were forced, after a tepid and conservative first half, to respond to a wild second 45.
This was supposed to be the game that proved the loss in Leipzig was nothing more than a minor blip, a bad day at the office, and that aspirations to challenge for the World Cup in Qatar were not founded in blind faith.
Instead, Germany looked like a vulnerable team that, once hurt, quickly bled out. When Mason Mount scored England’s second just three minutes after their first a third never felt far away.
Hansi Flick called for his side to show they believed in their style of play and to have fun. Germany enjoyed 10 minutes of the 90 against Germany, spending far too much of it delivering exactly what Flick didn’t want to see, namely a side unsure what to do.
That in the first half their best chance came from long-range said everything. That Ilkay Gündogan’s penalty came against the run of play and the equalizer as a result of a goalkeeper error equally said a lot about where Germany are at the moment. This did not look like a team with a clear plan, but rather one capable of little more than short bursts of transitional quality.
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