There is a lifetime that has passed since the last time, fine English footballers who have come and gone, a stadium bulldozed into the dust and regular epochs of national self-loathing, yet when Germany at last fell to England in a tournament knockout tie it all felt so peculiarly simple.
Harry Kane re-adjusted his body-shape for a Jack Grealish cross chipped slightly behind him, the England captain having clocked Manuel Neuer’s position and with the ease that Kane does these things, guided the ball with his head into the other corner. England’s late second goal made it a certainty that for the first time since 1966, when this Wembley pitch pointed in another direction, in front of stands of people from another century, Germany would be beaten by England in a knockout round of a major tournament.
This was not a great Germany side by any measure of their rich history, but this was a great day for this England team, and for English football. The predecessors of this young team have failed against good Germany sides of the past and mediocre ones too, unable to grasp the essence of tournament football. That is to say, the grind of every hard-won minute in anticipation of the few moments that can define a game, a tournament, perhaps even a career.
As a game this was no different, a shifting, complex picture of advantages, weaknesses, setbacks, small triumphs until eventually the door opened for Gareth Southgate’s players. They played it beautifully.
It was often ragged and tense, and Wembley simmered through half-time after a goalless first half. What were they thinking, this raucous return to near-full stands, the 45,000 in full voice? That they wanted something more, perhaps even more so for all the football and the life they have missed in the last 16 months. They were not sure they believed in the England they were seeing. But Southgate had picked a team for the tight game he had anticipated, and the different stages he expected to unfold, rather than some fantasy of attacking bravado.
The England manager held his nerve and waited, and never did his team feel more ready than the 76th minute when Luke Shaw chased the pass from Grealish down the left and delivered a ball into Raheem Sterling that could not be missed. For those who were unsure, suddenly it all made sense, and now Germany, the great tournament navigators, were chasing the game.
England had inched themselves towards the first goal, and when it came the match would finally open up. First, they would survive the moment of Thomas Muller’s epic miss when a loose pass from Raheem Sterling wrong-footed the England defence for the only time and the old Bavarian bore down on goal to shoot wide. England knew the moment had arrived and Germany started to collapse – slowly at first and then quickly when their right side opened up once more and Grealish delivered for Kane’s goal.
On they go, to Rome on Saturday for the quarter-finals of this European Championships. For the second time under Southgate’s reign, an England team doing things differently in a major tournament. They are revised and rebuilt for each opponent, their manager unwilling to give in to the old cry of letting the talent organise itself. He wants to do the organising himself and you could see the hallmarks of good decisions and good strategy all over this team from Southgate and his assistant Steve Holland. “We will always have passion and heart,” Southgate said later, “but we played with brains as well.”
It was built on a magnificent central defensive performance from Harry Maguire and John Stones, unquestionably united in their greatest games for England as part of a back three with Kyle Walker in tune again. Maguire and Stones managed this game like two experienced old tournament brutes, leaning in when they had to, turning away into space when the moment required. Always with another option up their sleeves, apart that from one moment when Muller fluffed his shot.
That confidence seemed to seep through the team, from Jordan Pickford, who made two great saves – and both very different. One down low at the feet of Timo Werner, the second up high from Kai Havertz’s fast-moving early second half smash. There was a composed side to Pickford too. He always seemed to know when to draw a defender in for the short ball, or deliver something longer upfield.
From Kalvin Phillips to Declan Rice, Kieran Trippier to Shaw, picked to do the often unremarkable jobs that eventually lead to remarkable outcomes – like knocking Germany out the Euros at Wembley – this was a team that felt calm on the course that it was set upon. For Southgate it was as much about who he left out as those he kept in. That bench behind him was heavy with attacking talent, all of which would be held against the England manager should his team fail. Yet his plan survived intact.
In attack, it would be right to say that Kane kept Wembley waiting. England’s most prolific current goalscorer can appear to be exhausted at times – and indeed perhaps he is. But when the game started to break down after the first goal, and the spaces appeared in the Germany box, so there he was, exactly where he needed to be. There are periods in his career when he is a restless source of energy and creation and at this Euros he seems to have made his peace with being something different. Southgate did not give in to the temptation to replace Kane and when the goal came the manager was vindicated again.
For Sterling, with three key goals now, this is the tournament of his life. He looked for the ball in places that he is rarely asked to venture when he plays for his club Manchester City, turning and driving at the Germany defence. Yet for his goal he was exactly where one might expect, arriving in the space between defenders when the cross arrived for the breakthrough.
It is the end of the line for Joachim Loew, and the four fellow World Cup winners whom he selected in his final game as Germany manager. The list of those who have defeated him in this last year in the job also includes North Macedonia but this was still a Germany that knew how to win tournament games. They smothered the impact of Bukayo Saka, retained on the right side of the attacking three and perhaps England’s least effective player save for some early teenage running in the first half.
Even so, Grealish’s arrival, with just more than 20 minutes left felt right for the conjuror-in-chief, as if the game had been prepared for him and was only now ready. He seemed to sense that too and made the right decision at the right time – simple interventions with big consequences. Victory over Germany has, of course, been far too long coming but that is not the fault of these players or this manager. They have demonstrated just how it could and should have been done for all those years.
Video: How the fans reacted
07:58 PM
Thanks for following this with us
In context, this has to be called a massive win for England. They have not beaten a major nation in a knockout game since 1966. Gareth Southgate said many times before this that his players were not cowed by the past, they wanted to make their own history. Tonight, they did it, and with this performance, they take their place in the last eight thinking that, perhaps, this might be their year. Cheers for reading, goodnight.
07:20 PM
Boris Johnson reacts
07:13 PM
Baddiel and Skinner
07:12 PM
Rice and Rudiger
Don’t get too close to him Declan – we don’t want another Billy Gilmour incident if Antonio turns up ‘Rona Positive.
07:09 PM
Harry Kane
If he has to pack in the football, he’s got a promising career as a picture editor, I’d say. #topshot
07:06 PM
Gareth in the press conference
07:03 PM
BBC team celebrate
07:01 PM
Auf wiedersehen
07:00 PM
The Duke of Cambridge celebrates
06:51 PM
Vindication!
For Harry, England, and Gareth Southgate. Here’s Jason Burt on a match that healed many wounds.
This was the richest form of vindication for Harry Kane, for Southgate and for England
“It was a rotten first-half for Harry Kane. He knew it. We knew it. Everyone knew it. It has been a disappointing tournament too. He has looked slow, sluggish, even worn-out and it was summed up by his miss just before the interval when the ball broke to him from Raheem Sterling but he was ponderous, tried to shift it to his right foot and allowed Mats Hummels to intervene.”
06:39 PM
All the reaction, quotes and analysis
06:36 PM
Jordan Pickford
Matt Law writes: For the second major tournament running, Pickford has emerged as one of England’s key men and has repaid manager Gareth Southgate’s faith in him.
Four games, four clean sheets and England into the quarter-finals of the Euros. Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane have scored the goals, but Pickford’s contribution has been just as important and there can be no doubt over who the country’s No 1 is.
Southgate’s loyalty to his players can at times be infuriating, particularly when their club form dips and there seems little logic in standing by them.
But Pickford is an example of an England player who often performs better for his country than he does for his club.”
06:35 PM
Declan Rice
“It is incredible,” said Rice. “A lot of the people looking at the group stage games had written us off. There were complaints about the performances, [people saying we were] not scoring enough goals.
“You read a load of things but as players you put that to the back of your mind and want to prove people wrong. Today, with a full house, everyone had that fire in the belly to go out there and for one knock Germany out and two for us to go through the next round.
“It’s history. In the press conferences all the players had been asked about the previous games against Germany, but today we created our own bit of history.”
Declan Rice: ‘We proved people wrong – we had fire in our bellies’
06:34 PM
Gareth Southgate on the BBC
“I thought it was a brilliant afternoon. We have talked about bringing enjoyment to the nation and that is what we have done.
The players were immense, I think we deserved the win.
But I said to them straight away ‘I am the party pooper because if we don’t do it on Saturday it does not matter’.
You change the shape, you pick certain personnel instead of others and if it goes wrong, you’re dead
We felt that matching them up was the way to go and we thought that speed in behind them would trouble them.
The whole team, the goalkeeper defended incredibly right the way through. I cannot give enough credit to them
Raheem constantly has to prove people wrong all the time. But he knows we have got the faith in him, the trust in him. His performances have been electric throughout.
I am so pleased. I saw Dave Seaman on the big screen. For the team mates that played with me (in 96) I cannot change that but I am proud today.”
06:28 PM
Nice moment on BBC
Klinsmann: “Sad to lose but it is not a shame to lose against England.”
Lineker: “No, but it is a rarity.”
Indeed it is. Indeed it is. This it the first time England have beaten a major contender in the knockout round of a tournament since 1966. Since 1966…
06:27 PM
You’d imagine these scenes
are pretty typical around the country right now!
06:25 PM
Jack Grealish talks to the BBC
“It’s not about me, it is about the team. But it’s nice when people are calling your name. The manager just told me to go on and express myself, play with a smile on my face, and lucky for me I created one of the goals.
“I think there is so much tactical stuff going on it is hard for H, teams double up on him, he is our most talked about player. When Luke give me the ball I was going to move it to my left and shoot, but in the end I played it to Harry.
“If you are getting talked about you must be doing something well. Unbelievable feeling, being cheered and them singing my song, so I wanted to pay them back.”
06:22 PM
Content warning: sad Thomas Mueller
Warning: do not look at this picture if you find unhappy Germany footballers upsetting.
06:18 PM
Harry Kane
“Amazing day, amazing game. To hear Wembley like this was a moment we will never forget. I took a blow to the knee but I knew that was just contact and it would get better after a couple of minutes. As a striker you are always thinking, the next chance, the next chance.
“Any team will look at us and think we are dangerous. We obviously want to go all the way. Whoever it is we play we will prepare and we will be ready.”
06:14 PM
Harry Maguire
“Magnificent moment for myself and the team. It has been a tough couple of years for this country. So to put smiles back on faces is great. But we are not done yet. We were a bit nervous in the first ten, maybe a bit shaky, gave it away a bit too much. But we grew into the game.”
“Sometimes in the Premier League because of all the scrutiny we analyse every goal but we have excellent defenders in this country. Keeping sheets is nice for us but the main thing is winning. It has been a tough few months for me so full credit to the staff at United and with England to get me fit for this. I was tired in the second half but I will keep getting my fitness back.”
06:12 PM
Death, where is thy sting?
06:11 PM
Declan Rice
“Everyone had that fire in their belly to 1) knock Germany out of a tournament and 2) go through ourselves. We have been asked about all the other England Germany games but we wanted to make our own story. Yes, early yellow card but you have to stay professional and focus. H (Kane) ran his socks into the ground.”
06:09 PM
England player ratings
England vs Germany player ratings: Raheem Sterling delivers again, Harry Kane struggles despite goal
Great reading for a certain Manchester City forward, perhaps less good for another England attacker…
John Percy the man running the rule over the side.
06:07 PM
Too early? Course not!
06:06 PM
Rate the German players
06:06 PM
Rate the England players
06:05 PM
Raheem Sterling
“We knew we had to put in a big performance against a good side. Doing it for your country will always be special. My goal, I celebrated and then for half a second I thought oh I hope it’s not offside. The two boys in midfield, they passed it around. Declan and…. er… Rice. Phillips! They just ate up ground. they were animals in there.”
So buzzing and probably tired that he nearly forgot who his teammates are. No judgement here – he can say and do whatever he wants! Goal hero.
06:04 PM
And now what?
06:01 PM
Gary Neville
05:58 PM
Jamie Carragher’s full-time verdict
Do not underestimate the magnitude of this result. For most of those players, that was the biggest result of their career. They were under immense pressure carrying huge expectations against a very dangerous side, and they delivered when it counted.
Take a bow Raheem Sterling. He was the world class player on that pitch. He has been the difference for England throughout this competition. Outstanding.
And a word for Jordan Pickford. Alongside Sterling, he has been England’s best player, contributing at critical moments. Now it’s about making sure this result really counts by going further.
05:58 PM
Gareth celebrates the second goal
05:55 PM
Raheem
05:55 PM
Our man in the biergarten
Telegraph Features writer Luke Mintz – The mood has fallen from bad to worse at Octoberfest German pub in west London. Harry Kane’s second goal for England was met with horror; fans clasped their hands to their mouths in shock. Before, fans were regularly standing up from their wooden benches; now, most are stuck to their seats, looking glumly at the screen.
05:52 PM
Full time: England 2 Germany 0
England have done it!
05:52 PM
90 mins: England 2 Germany 0
There are four minutes added and while, as you would expect, Germany are knocking on the door, they’re largely just slinging balls into the box that England are dealing with it. And dealing with it they have! The ref blows the whistle and that is the lot.
05:50 PM
Kane defied his critics
05:48 PM
90 mins: England 2 Germany 0
Goretzka hooks the ball into the box, Havertz launches himself at it but is not close.
05:47 PM
89 mins: England 2 Germany 0
The Germans are playing it around.. They launch it into the box. Kroos is firing balls into the England area from 45 yards, but England have the personnel to deal with that all day long. Sane now down the left, crosses…. England cannot clear…. the chance drops for Goretzka. But he makes nothing of it.
05:45 PM
87 mins: England 2 Germany 0
Leroy Sane comes on. Gosens off. Emre Can comes on. Ginter, on a yellow, off.
05:45 PM
87 mins: England 2 Germany 0
Declan Rice comes off, urging the crowd to roar the team on. Jordan Henderson is the replacement.
05:43 PM
GOAL! England 2 Germany 0 (Kane 85)
He has done it! Harry Kane has scored for England! Germany have committed men forward, Luke Shaw picks it up, he plays it to Grealish. Down the left comes Grealish, he crosses, and there’s Harry Kane stooping to head the ball in. England have the second and they are going to record a once-in-a-lifetime win here.
05:42 PM
82 mins: England 1 Germany 0
England are playing it around….
05:40 PM
82 mins: England 1 Germany 0
It’s going to be a tense, tense ten minutes. Can Southgate somehow take the sting out of this? England have not been brilliant, but Sterling has been. The Germans, to be fair, have not created much either.
05:39 PM
80 mins: England 1 Germany 0
Oh that is a huge moment! England give it away, Sterling is the guilty party. Germany’s Havertz slots it through, and the dreaded Muller is racing clear… he advances on the goal, Pickford races out, Muller hits it…. and he hits it wide!
Well if you can’t enjoy that, you can’t enjoy anything. A highly delightful miss.
05:38 PM
Here’s the Sterling goal
05:35 PM
78 mins: England 1 Germany 0
Sterling back now helping out, pressing the Germans into a mistake.
05:35 PM
77 mins: England 1 Germany 0
Harry Maguire is booked for a foul on Kimmich and Germany have a freekick on the edge of the England area… The wall does its job.
05:32 PM
GOAL! England 1 Germany 0 (Sterling 75)
He’s done it! England, at last, play with some purpose. Sterling runs at the defence, lays it off to Kane, who sends it onwards to Grealish, who finds Shaw who crosses, and Sterling has carried on his run to tuck it away.
05:29 PM
71 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Gosens into the book for nibbling at Trippier.
05:28 PM
70 mins: England 0 Germany 0
But Kane stays on…
05:26 PM
68 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Saka is coming off. Oh. I thought he was doing quite well? Anyway, here’s Jack Grealish.
05:25 PM
67 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Werner off for Germany. Gnabry comes on.
05:25 PM
66 mins: England 0 Germany 0
England are readying the Alice banded hero, the people’s Brummie, the nation’s favourite: Jack Grealish. Who will he replace, though?
05:22 PM
65 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Sterling breaks, Kroos fouls him. I really think a Germany red card and or a set piece might be England’s best bet…
05:21 PM
63 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Pickford’s first non-excellent moment of the evening as he wellies a ball out for a throw under no pressure.
05:19 PM
62 mins: England 0 Germany 0
England with a bit of a move, Saka once again looks the boy most likely, it’s switched over to Sterling and he tries to find Kane but Hummels and Rudiger are giving Kane nothing.
05:17 PM
60 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Ginter, already booked, has hurt Saka. The German defender went for the ball fair and square but clipped the Arsenal lad in the follow through. Bukayo is okay, and Ginter is not disciplined.
05:14 PM
56 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Sterling with an excellent break but he runs into traffic, and Rudiger starts an attack… Werner into the area… oh blimey…. John Stones watches him and makes an excellent intervention.
05:12 PM
54 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Harry Kane has gone up for a ball, and seems to have landed awkwardly. Treatment on the sidelines. Is he okay to carry on? (Should Southgate sub him off either way?)
05:11 PM
53 mins: England 0 Germany 0
An uncomfortable spell this, though, for the English. Kroos is starting to boss this, bringing Havertz and Werner into it when he can, they get it down the right and cross. Gosens is making a nuisance of himself in the area. England have enough back but this is nervy viewing rn.
05:09 PM
51 mins: England 0 Germany 0
England playing with some urgency, the fans are roaring them on, Sterling with a run. Stones is getting more involved.
05:07 PM
50 mins: England 0 Germany 0
England deal okay with the corner.
05:07 PM
49 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Dangerous move. Kroos is the orchestrator, England cannot clear, cannot disrupt, it falls for Havertz who lets fly with ein megablastenshotten. He got all of that and it was a really superb save from Pickford to tip that over. My goodness he caught that well, amazing tekkers on the volley.
05:03 PM
47 mins: England 0 Germany 0
England’s two central midfielders are both on yellows. You would not be amazed to see one of them double up…
By the same token, Germany RCB Ginter is also on a card, and maybe England can get Sterling or Saka running at him and isolate him and get him to do the bad thing.
05:02 PM
46 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Second half kicks off. No subs that I can see.
Telegraph Features writer Luke Mintz – It’s half-time at Octoberfest pub in Fulham, one of the most popular German establishments in London, a city that is home to some 60,000 German expats. Dozens of fans have piled in to watch their home team, with plates of sausages and steins of beer. Fans are feeling upbeat. They banged on the table during the German national anthem. God Save the Queen, meanwhile, received some light-hearted booing. Occasionally, a group of England fans walks past, prompting some shouting. There was anger eight minutes in, when Germany weren’t awarded a penalty for Rice’s foul on Goretzka. A man in a full Lederhosen outfit shouted a German profanity at the screen. Then jubilation at 45 minutes, when Harry Kane fluffed his chance in the penalty area. The German fans are joined by one table of Scots, who are (naturally) supporting Germany.
05:02 PM
C’mon Gareth. You can do this, man
Change needed?
04:58 PM
Here’s the Kane chance
04:54 PM
Coaching tips from Erling
04:51 PM
Jamie Carragher’s half time verdict
The first ten or 12 minutes were very nervous for England. Germany showed all their experience, that Champions League clout mentioned before the game obvious. It was Saka and Sterling who dragged England into it, running at the Germany defence and earning free-kicks. England had a good spell midway through the half.
But yet again we have to talk about Harry Kane, who had just two touches in the opening 30 minutes. He is not doing enough. I’m sick of people making excuses for these performances, and saying people need to do more for him. No, he has to do far more. Kane should have taken that chance just before half-time but it has been far too easy for Mats Hummels. If this continues, Southgate has to make a change sooner rather than later in the second half.
04:50 PM
Half time: England 0 Germany 0
Obviously tense as an occasion but not a patch, as an entertainment or footballing spectacle, on the last few matches. But to be honest, that’s not the main concern, right now, is it?
Germany had a good chance when Havertz sent Werner through, excellent low save from Pickford. Raheem Sterling with a nice curling effort. And the Kane fluffing that one right at the end.
04:48 PM
45 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Oh so close! How are England not ahead? Sterling picks it up and cuts inside, pursued by half the German team. They either tackle him or bring him down on the edge of the area but, by hook or by crook, it bobbles to the unmarked Harry Kane in the penalty area. Harry! He takes a touch with his left and shifts it onto his right, but the desperate Germans scramble back and England are denied.
An in-form Kane stabs that past the keeper with his left without hesitation. But this is not an in-form Kane…
Anyhow, it’s the last action of the half.
04:46 PM
44 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Nasty foul there from Kalvin Phillips on Kroos. Studs up, into the shin. That’s a yellow and a bit. Had that been a red card, Kalvin wouldn’t have been able to have too many complaints.
04:44 PM
43 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Germany deal with that one okay.
04:44 PM
42 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Trippier flicks in the freekick, Kane and Hummels do battle… big Mats puts it behind for a corner.
04:43 PM
41 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Harry Kane crackles into life, surges forward, and is scythed down by Goretzka. It’s okay, he’s okay to continue.
04:41 PM
39 mins: England 0 Germany 0
England with a neat, compact passing move, composed… and they pass it back to Pickford. It looked really great until you realised they were going the wrong way.
04:40 PM
37 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Phillips and Saka linked up well there but the cross to Kane was cut out. Now here’s Kalvin at the other end of the field sorting out Havertz.
04:39 PM
Whither Harry?
04:37 PM
34 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Phillips is at the heart of most of England’s better work, and has made good progress down the right. But Germany are looking a solid outfit.
52% possession for England. Not sure we have quite taken back control of this tbf.
04:36 PM
Rice is in a battle…and already on a yellow
04:35 PM
34 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Superb stop from Pickford.
04:33 PM
33 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Ooh and that is the best chance yet. A really good save for Jordan Pickford, dashing out to save bravely at the feet of Werner, who had been sent through by his Chelsea club mate Kai Havertz.
04:32 PM
31 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Haverts to Kimmich, this is a classy move from Germany, and a ball delivered in. Gosens lurking… denied at the back post by a combo of Trippier and Walker.
04:31 PM
30 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Phillips with another lovely deep playmaking ball, Yorkshire Pirlo stuff, raking down the left and Sterling does very well to keep it in. Delivers a ball across but the Germans have numbers back and the move eventually flounders on a misplaced intervention from Harry Kane. He has been anonymous. Two touches so far in the match.
04:29 PM
29 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Good spell for England, the last few minutes. Mini lull now
04:27 PM
26 mins: England 0 Germany 0
England starting to happen. They have got down the right now from open play. Phillips deliver a nice ball out into the corner behind the German left back, the cross comes in… Harry Maguire! He rises and heads it well wide. That was a big chance and needed a better header.
04:26 PM
25 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Decent whip in for Trippier. Kimmich gets up well to head behind. Corner.
04:25 PM
24 mins: England 0 Germany 0
England causing a few problems now. And they are coming about when England run at their opponents. Shaw down the flank, tugged back by Ginter. And Ginter goes in the book.
04:24 PM
22 mins: England 0 Germany 0
This set piece is defended okay by Germany. Shaw delivers it, Stones gets up for a header but cannot do much with it.
04:24 PM
21 mins: England 0 Germany 0
England starting to play with a bit more zip. Saka looks the brightest bulb. He’s drifted onto the left now and drawn a foul from Goretzka. England’s most likely route to a goal now looks like Saka winning a freekick, maybe a German or two getting booked, and then England doing a set piece.
04:22 PM
20 mins: England 0 Germany 0
It’s nervy stuff so far from England’s players and particularly their supporters.
04:19 PM
19 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Muller battles with Maguire, Harry reckons that TM fouled him in that and I can see his point. England break nonetheless but… there’s not many of them doing the attacking.
Has Gareth Southgate put out a back seven? The front three lads seem to be quite separated from the rest. Luke Shaw does belatedly come to join in but the moment has passed.
04:17 PM
15 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Harry Maguire meets the corner with his mighty forehead but the German goalie watches the ball all the way into his gloves.
04:16 PM
15 mins: England 0 Germany 0
First moment for the England fans to get into – Sterling given time and space, cuts inside, hits a cracking shot with his right. Neuer has to look lively to turn that behind for a corner.
04:14 PM
13 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Rudiger blocks off Saka, no intention of getting the ball. At least he didn’t bite him I guess.
England have a freekick, and play it into the box. Headed clear.
I reckon England’s fans are maybe 8 minutes from turning on them.
04:13 PM
12 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Havertz and Muller are dropping between the lines and causing some problems.
04:11 PM
10 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Germany have definitely had the best of this so far.
Solid each way bet for the House of Windsor in fairness.
04:10 PM
9 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Struck hard, but repelled. That was a nervous moment for England. Havertz hit it, Rice the man who got in the way.
04:09 PM
8 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Rice goes into the book for a foul on Goretzka. Kroos is demanding a penalty, a red card, public hanging etc. But a yellow it is. Deserved. Lost his man and hacked him down.
Germany have a freekick on the edge of the area.
04:05 PM
4 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Germany having the better of the early exchanges, playing the game in England’s half. We have our first shot: Goretzka hits the target from range but Pickford gathers easily.
04:03 PM
3 mins: England 0 Germany 0
Germany mount the first serious attack, playing through the England press, Kimmich getting down the right and crossing. Walker has to head it behind. Corner is cleared okay.
04:02 PM
2 mins: England 0 Germany 0
England have an early chance to play it into the box. Shaw delivers, but it is easily cleared.
04:01 PM
1 mins: England 0 Germany 0
England all in white, Germany all in black. Muller is penalised for fouling Harry Maguire.
04:00 PM
The Knee is taken
by both teams. A few boos but overwhelmingly drowned out by cheers on this occasion. Let’s kick off.
England: Pickford, Walker, Stones, Maguire, Trippier, Phillips, Rice, Shaw, Saka, Kane, Sterling. Subs: Grealish, Henderson, Rashford, Ramsdale, Mings, Coady, Sancho, Mount, Foden, Johnstone, James, Bellingham.
Germany: Neuer, Ginter, Hummels, Rudiger, Kimmich, Kroos, Goretzka, Gosens, Havertz, Muller, Werner. Subs: Halstenberg, Volland, Gnabry, Leno, Musiala, Sule, Neuhaus, Sane, Gundogan, Trapp, Can, Koch.
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Holland)
04:00 PM
David II
03:59 PM
David I
03:58 PM
Dutch ref with the coin toss
Germany with three at the back.
03:57 PM
The home side’s National Anthem next
Stirring rendition. Kane claps his hands and roars.
03:57 PM
Barnesy is in
03:56 PM
The players come out onto the pitch
And now over to the England fans for a hearty boo of Germany’s magnificent anthem.
03:55 PM
The players are in the tunnel
The German lads in white tracksuit tops with black shorts and black socks.
03:52 PM
Sam Wallace writes
SPOTTED: Adam Lallana in the Wembley crowd, in shorts and navy jumper, sitting in the standard seats with England fans. Impressive man-of-the-people stuff from the Brighton midfielder.
He played at the 2014 World Cup and Euro 2016 – and was a really important player in the Roy Hodgson era. Also has the unusual distinction of scoring the first – and last – goal of the Sam Allardyce era against Slovakia in Sept 2016.
The last of his 34 caps came in March 2018. Clearly still a fan, and also a famous former player who does not feel the need to sit in the Royal Box to watch England.
03:50 PM
Fantastic atmosphere there
Muggy, drizzly sort of an afternoon. 63 degrees. Might be a shower or two.
03:49 PM
Germany guys warming up
Germany coach Joachim Loew makes two changes to his lineup, with Leon Goretzka coming into the midfield alongside Toni Kroos, replacing injured Ilkay Gundogan, who hit his head in their last group game. Goretzka will also be tasked with moving Germany’s game forward.
Loew, who will be sitting on the bench for the last time after 15 years in charge if Germany lose, has also picked striker Timo Werner to start, dropping Serge Gnabry, who has yet to score in the tournament.
Kai Havertz and Thomas Mueller, still looking for his first Euro goal in his 15th career game of the competition, will be supporting Werner on the wings.
03:46 PM
England’s main man
03:45 PM
15 minutes until kick off
Tension building. Nerves. Where’s your money?
03:43 PM
Rio Ferdinand
“That feeling when you come out at Wembley for a big game like this. It’s hairs on the back of your neck, it is everything. It is the best feeling in the world. If you could bottle it, sell it in Tescos or Top Shop you would never stop selling it. It is a beautiful thing. If this atmosphere scares you, you are in the wrong job.”
03:41 PM
Gareth Southgate
“An opportunity for these players. The past is great for nostalgia but this team are about making their own stories. The teams Germany have played have had big problems with their overloading wingbacks. We have to solve a tactical problem in our own third. Speed in behind Germany’s defence is important today, Saka can get in behind.”
03:38 PM
Michael Owen
03:34 PM
If you’re really into the whole hostage to fortune thing
Who is your Euro 2020 winner? Map out the tournament with our predictor tool
03:32 PM
Low blow?
03:25 PM
Defensive?
03:21 PM
Tickets? Tickets!
Ben Rumsby reports: “Remarkably, there were still some tickets available for this game just hours before kick-off. Uefa has confirmed it put less than 100 on sale today that had previously been held back as a buffer. They were snapped up almost immediately by eagle-eyed punters.”
03:18 PM
Jamie Carragher
I can understand why Gareth Southgate has gone for three centre-backs. It’s not as if I look at that team and think, ‘what has he done?’ But – as I wrote in my column this morning – my concern whenever a team tries to match up with the opposition is the decision has been taken because they think they are playing a superior side. I am not sure Germany is. In their last eight games playing four at the back, England have conceded only once, so was it really necessary to change? On the plus side, it shows this manager is not afraid to make big decisions. Kieran Trippier is back in because this game could be decided by a set-piece. It is pleasing that the side still has plenty of pace with Bukayo Saka included again.
What’s essential is that England do not fall into the trap – which can often happen with a back five – of dropping too deep. My worry is Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips will be preoccupied with protecting the defence when England can have joy by pressing high against this German team.
03:16 PM
Youth wing
03:15 PM
Back three stats
03:14 PM
The unlucky three
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Ben Chilwell & Ben White are the trio who don’t get in the matchday squad. It is being reported that DCL is unhappy with being left out.
03:13 PM
The managers
03:11 PM
German side in formation
03:10 PM
Some fans think it’s a bit defensive
03:09 PM
Harry Kane
“We have been waiting a while for this game, it has felt like a long build up. We have played a back three a lot and it is something we are used to.”
03:07 PM
Sam Wallace from Wembley
“The 45,000 crowd at Wembley feels like a proper football crowd at last – you can hear the noise and singing before you get to the source of it. Wembley Way looks like it once did – minus the old ramp which was demolished at the end of last year.
03:06 PM
Young man in a hurry
03:00 PM
The teams in full
England: Pickford, Walker, Stones, Maguire, Trippier, Phillips, Rice, Shaw, Saka, Kane, Sterling. Subs: Grealish, Henderson, Rashford, Ramsdale, Mings, Coady, Sancho, Mount, Foden, Johnstone, James, Bellingham.
Germany: Neuer, Ginter, Hummels, Rudiger, Kimmich, Kroos, Goretzka, Gosens, Havertz, Muller, Werner. Subs: Halstenberg, Volland, Gnabry, Leno, Musiala, Sule, Neuhaus, Sane, Gundogan, Trapp, Can, Koch.
Referee: Danny Makkelie (Holland)
02:58 PM
The England formation
02:57 PM
And here are the Germans
02:56 PM
The managers
02:49 PM
It looks like a 3-4-3
Saka plays
The team: Pickford; Walker, Stones, Maguire; Trippier, Phillips, Rice, Shaw; Saka, Kane, Sterling.
02:49 PM
England team
02:48 PM
The horror, the horror
02:45 PM
Back in the gang
02:39 PM
The price of failure…
Frank De Boer has stood down as Holland head coach after a disappointing showing at Euro 2020.
The Dutch were knocked out at the last 16 stage by the Czech Republic on Sunday.
A statement on the Dutch federation’s website confirmed the news, with De Boer saying: “I have decided not to continue as national coach. The objective has not been achieved, that is clear.”
02:33 PM
Knee news
“Germany captain Manuel Neuer says the team will join the England players in taking a knee against racism before their European Championship game at Wembley Stadium”
02:32 PM
England fans assemble
02:30 PM
I think we need to talk about the ‘P’ word
Telegraph galaxy brain Tim Wigmore, most normally spotted coming up with brilliant theories about T20 cricket, has turned his analytical mind to penalty kicks. This is well worth a butcher’s…
Revealed: The secrets to winning a penalty shoot-out – and why England are now so good at them
02:26 PM
And here’s the non-cropped picture
02:25 PM
Always great to see a politician getting behind the national side
Come on England! Score a wicket! Let’s level up! I predict Four footys to two on penalty tiebreaks.
02:21 PM
The Germans are arriving
02:19 PM
Resident Scotland fan Michael Deacon writes
“Whatever the outcome, this match between England and Germany is a footballing milestone. An unprecedented moment in the history of the game. As far as I am concerned, at any rate. Because I am a Scotland fan. And tonight, for the first time ever, I will be supporting England.
It is a strange and unsettling development. Like most Scotland fans, I have hitherto spent my days living in terror that England might finally win another trophy. Our blood runs cold each time an England team advance beyond the group stage. Only after the final English penalty has cleared the stand behind the goal have we felt able to breathe, relax and enjoy the tournament.
To be clear: this is not xenophobic. It is not anti-English. I love England. I have lived here for the past 20 years. I have an English wife and an English son. This is purely a footballing rivalry. The faithful observance of an age-old sporting tradition. I am from Scotland, therefore I take comfort in seeing the England football team do almost as badly as the Scotland football team. Nothing more to it than that.”
02:16 PM
Starting to get busy!
02:02 PM
Is international football better than the club game?
Many of us might defer our opinion on that until about 7.15pm this evening – but not the fearless Thom Gibbs. He’s nailed his colours to the mast of nation state vs nation state as the apogee of the sport.
01:49 PM
Strong suggestion of the municipal swimming pool
about the colourings here. Hopefully England can keep their heads above water later
01:44 PM
What would your formation be?
01:41 PM
Scarfers
01:37 PM
TV news – this one is on the BBC
And they’ll be hoping to top the below chart, although to be fair the start time is not in their favour.
Most watched games so far…
England v Scotland 19.9m peak, 4.8m streams (STV & ITV and ITV Hub)
England v Czech Republic 14.6m peak, 4.4m streams [ITV and ITV Hub]
England v Croatia 11.6m 4.5m streams [BBC and BBC iplayer]
France v Switzerland 11.3m [ITV]
Belgium v Portugal 10.5m peak, 3.4m streams [ITV and ITV Hub]
01:31 PM
Nice vid here with Gary and Bobby Hundreds
01:22 PM
This is the moment
Chief sportswriter Oliver Brown says that the time is now. No more near misses. England have the players, the home advantage, and they should be backed to deliver.
“It flies in the face of all logic, this popular notion that England must still be haunted by a Wembley trauma 25 years old. The average age of Gareth Southgate’s squad at this European Championship is 24.8. Not only do these players lack any recollection of Stuart Pearce being mocked up in a tin hat, or of their own manager choking back tears in Terry Venables’ arms, most of them had not even been born. Unencumbered by the emotional freight of facing Germany, they have the joyous liberty of knowing that they can create folklore of their own, free from the manacles of a distant past.”
This is England’s moment – they must come out swinging without fear
01:20 PM
For St George
01:07 PM
Foden fan club?
12:55 PM
Dress-up!
12:47 PM
Gareth has some questions to answer
Will it be a back three? Will it be a back four? Two men who know more about this than pretty much anyone else are Mr Jason Burt and Mr Matt Law; here are their thoughts on how Gareth might deploy a back three with which to take on England’s deadliest footballing foe.
12:28 PM
England vs Germany match coming up
And let us start with the thing that is on the mind of every England fan: penalties. Over to you, Matt Law.
England players are making the dreaded “walk of death” as they practise penalties ahead of the European Championship last-16 tie against Germany.
Germany beat England on penalties the last time the countries met in a major tournament at Wembley, in 1996 when Gareth Southgate missed.
Germany also won on penalties at the 1990 World Cup. England beat Colombia on penalties at the World Cup in 2018 and Southgate makes players practise penalties at the end of each training session, with assistant Steve Holland keeping a leaderboard. That means Holland has three years of penalty data since the World Cup. England players attempt to recreate some of the tension of a real shoot-out when they practise.
Each makes the “walk of death” from the halfway line before placing the ball and waiting for the whistle. Some like to keep their eyes focused on an object as they walk from the halfway line to block out the pressure.
“In training, we do it properly,” Declan Rice said. “There is a whistle and you can take your time and get yourself in the zone. You get yourself in the position you want to run up to the ball. You can take as many as possible and stay out there as long as you want. You want to be in the zone and strike the ball as you want, so that when it comes you know where you want to put the ball. It’s just repetition for me.”
Asked if he would take a penalty against Germany in a shoot-out, the midfielder said: “Definitely. A couple of years ago, I would have said no. But, where I have started to take responsibility at club level now, there is a process in your mind that you can go up there and put the ball in the back of the net. We have been successful in the World Cup in the shoot-out and the Nations League, so as a group we know the process and what you have to go through. It’s about mentally going up there and picking your spot and putting the ball in the back of the net.”
Rice scored one penalty and missed another for West Ham United last season and revealed some of the techniques he had used to improve since missing three decisive penalties while in the Chelsea academy.
“Three different tournaments at Chelsea as kids and three chances to win it for the team, and I missed all three,” Rice said. “That doesn’t sound very good. I felt back then, as a kid being away with the pressure to win a tournament and the excitement, going up to the ball I was nervous.
“It’s funny and weird saying it now with fans watching, but for me I’ve been practising them all season at West Ham and now I’ve come here, it’s just about that process in my head. When the ref blows his whistle, you don’t have to go when that happens. You can give yourself those extra few seconds, breathing techniques, just to relax yourself.
“It’s all about visualisation, how you’re going to put the ball in the back of the net. These are things I started to develop as I got older, so I’m just trying to practise and if my name is called upon, I’m positive I can put the ball away.”
Other than Rice, Manchester City’s Phil Foden, who scored against Japan in a shoot-out for England at the Under-17 World Cup in 2017, confirmed he would volunteer for a penalty by saying: “If I’m on the pitch at the time, why not? I feel confident to take one. I shoot them well in training, so why not?”
England players who do not regularly take penalties at their clubs are encouraged to have a “routine” and not to divert from it, even in practice, and some like to have the ball in a particular position so they can strike the same part of it each time.
Kalvin Phillips believes the meticulous practice will be worthwhile, as he is convinced England will have to win a penalty shoot-out at some stage to go all of the way. “In one of the first meetings, the manager showed us his penalty miss and talked about penalty shoot-outs and stuff like that,” the midfielder said.
“He has a laugh about it now and he talks about it all of the time. It’s nice to get the experience from your coach and to get to the final we’re going to eventually have to go through a penalty shoot-out, as every other team have.”
While he prepares for the Germany game, Rice revealed that he has shut down his Twitter account since the first group match against Croatia, so he can fully focus and avoid the wide range of opinions about England on social media.
“I’ve not read anything,” he said. “I’ve kind of taken myself off social media since I’ve been here. I’ve just deleted Twitter. I did it after the Croatia game. “Nothing bad was behind it, it’s just me being me. I like Twitter, but I thought that during this tournament it was best to come off it and focus fully on myself.
“There are only so many times you can read things about your ability that get stuck in your mind, so I had to come off it. I’ll be back on it soon, I’m sure. But I’ve just come off it so I can focus on the tournament, focus on ourselves and, of course, the team. I want to be positive.”