Kane and Vardy lead the line for England / Image via eurosport.com
Roy Hodgson will have been delighted with his team’s performance in Berlin on Saturday night against the reigning World Champions Germany.
Die Mannschaft welcomed the Three Lions in an all-time European classic as both teams continue their preparations for the Euro 2016 in France, and the match offered plenty of excitement for the anticipating crowd.
Germany scored two goals for a comfortable lead against Hodgson’s men, but England did great to recover and get back in the game with three goals for a fantastic win that will be a huge morale boost for the Three Lions.
Here are the five things we learned from a mesmerizing match in Berlin:
Germany in need of some soul searching
The reigning World Champions are experiencing a serious dip in form.
The 3-2 defeat to England has been their third slump in the last four games and second consecutive loss following the November defeat in France.
Joachim Low’s men lacked the competitive edge against England and their disorganized playing style in Berlin was something football fans are not used to seeing when it comes to Die Mannschaft.
With no flair to show off for, without any clear ideas how to break the tenacious English, Low’s men have displayed a complete lack of confidence which cost them in the end.
Germany have had only 2 shots on goal, and they were both successful, to England’s six on target which is a clear indicator of their poor performance in Berlin.
Joachim Low will have to roll up his sleeves and analyse the current situation with only a month to go before the 2016 European Champions finals kick off.
Mario Gomez resurrected
If there is one positive line to be drawn from Germany’s performance tonight then it surely is Mario Gomez’s performance.
With Miroslav Klose’s international career effectively over, the 30-year-old Besiktas striker rose up to the occasion and is making a serious push towards the squad for the Euro 2016.
England game was his first Germany appearance in over a year and his 57th-minute header the first goal for the national team since the European Championship in 2012.
Mario Gomez is enjoying an improved run of form ever since his move to Turkey. Having scored 19 goals in 24 appearance for Besiktas, former Bayern Munich has recovered from his dismal spell in the Serie A and is once again a force to be reckoned with.
Joachim Low has limited options in the heart of attack and Gomez is expected to be the main striking force in France.
Keeper woes continue for England
Chronically troubled with their goalkeepers’ choice, England have seemingly solved the biggest problem that has been upsetting them for decades now.
Joe Hart as the first-choice shot stopper is struggling with injury, but his form has been on the rise ever since Manuel Pellegrini started pushing him to the edge with the introduction of Caballero, who has been getting the increased playing time this season.
With Butland and Forster as Hart’s support, England have seemingly covered the most problematic position, but a scratch on the surface will reveal additional woes.
Jack Butland suffered an injury when he went to pick up the ball in 41st minute of the match which allowed Kroos to score an unexpected long-range goal towards the end of the first half, which in other circumstances would be an easy save for England goalkeeper.
Butland was ultimately forced off, making way for Fraser Forster who has himself recently made the return from a ten-month layoff.
Undeterred in his desire to get back in form, Forster has recently explained he feels stronger than ever, but in reality the goalkeeper’s position still remains the weakest point of this young and explosive England squad.
With their three goalkeepers all susceptible to injuries after a long season, England will be sweating until the very end ahead of the trip to France.
The Three Lions roaring
It has been a while since England were this exciting to watch.
In all honesty, their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign has been a walk through the park, but their impressive come-from-behind triumph in Germany has been the ultimate proof of their increased quality, potential and competitive edge that will likely make them one of the hottest teams to watch during the forthcoming showpiece in France.
England created chances, pushing Germany against the wall and Low’s team will have England’s lack of precision and composure in front of Neuer’s goal to thank for the fact they did not concede more than three goals on Saturday night.
Hodgson’s men are more confident than ever and their increased self-belief has allowed them to fully display their vast potential.
Adam Lallana, Dele Alli and Harry Kane looked already established stars tonight, but it was Jamie Vardy who has been particularly impressive against Germans as Low’s team had no solution against the fantastic attacking potential of England’s forward-oriented stars.
Venomous Vardy
Introduced after 70 minutes, Leicester City striker has been a momentary impact on the game.
It took him just three minutes to score the equalizer with his first touch in the game and a delightful flicked effort for his first goal for England.
Vardy sparked an additional push in the closing stages of the game, inspiring England to go full throttle against Germans and laid grounds for Eric Dier to score his also first ever goal for England.
From non-league football in 2012 to scoring against the World Champions, Vardy took leaps to prominence building his confidence along the way to help his Leicester City with 19 goals this season.
The 29-year-old England is an explosive force, unpredictable in nature and he will be a joy to watch at the Euro 2016 finals.
GERMANY: Neuer 6 – Can 6.5, Rudiger 6.5, Hummels 6 (Tah 6), Hector 6.5 – Khedira 7, Kroos 7.5, Muller 6.5 (Podolski 6), Ozil 7, Reus 6 (Schurrle 6) – Gomez 7.5 (Gotze 6).
Unused subs: Bellarabi, Draxler, Ginter, Kramer, Leno, Mustafi, Rudy, Ter Stegen, Trapp, Volland.
ENGLAND: Butland 6 (Forster 6.5) – Clyne 7, Smalling 6.5, Cahill 6.5, Rose 7 – Dier 7.5, Henderson 7 – Lallana 7 (Barkley 6), Alli 7, Welbeck 6.5 (Vardy 7.5) – Kane 7.5.
REFEREE: Gianluca Rocchi
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