Nations League: Germany cannot get past 1-1 against England

Gladbach’s Hofmann meets

The German national soccer team only ended the second endurance test in the Nations League with a draw. The team of national coach Hansi Flick separated 1: 1 (0: 0) from England on Tuesday in Munich. Gladbach’s Jonas Hofmann (photo) gave the hosts the lead in front of 66,289 spectators in an intense game (51st minute). England captain Harry Kane equalized with a penalty kick (88th).

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Three days after the 1-1 draw at European champions Italy, it was the second draw for the German Football Association in the second game of the new season in the Nations League. In the group with Italy, the European Championship finalists England and Hungary, Germany is in third place with two points. The pace and intensity were right. And Gladbach’s Hofmann’s goal came from a fine combination of initiator Kai Havertz and passer Joshua Kimmich. Germany dominated after the lead, Thomas Müller missed the 2-0 (70th) after a cross from David Raum, as did substitute Timo Werner (75). Captain Neuer initially spectacularly prevented the equalizer as a strong support against Kane (76th). The DFB selection is now going into the next game on Saturday (8.45 p.m. / RTL) in Budapest against Hungary with two points.

Flick called his starting XI conversion to seventh position “not a consequence of the Italy game”, but rather justified it as a sensible distribution of the burden. “We have four games after a long season,” said the 57-year-old ex-Bayern coach. Nevertheless, the line-up was a sign that there is only one small untouchable axis with him, consisting of captain Manuel Neuer in goal, defense chief Antonio Rüdiger, boss six Kimmich and Thomas Müller as leader of the offensive. The newcomers to the team also brought in the “intensity” that Flick missed for long stretches in the 1-1 draw against European champions Italy at the start of the Nations League.

Both teams watched and fought each other attentively. The Spanish referee Carlos del Cerro Grande let a lot go, hardly whistled off a duel. There was hardly any room in the center of midfield in particular. The DFB-Elf often tried it via the agile flank runner space. Ilkay Gündogan was a skilled ball distributor against his Premier League colleagues. Youngster Jamal Musiala also delighted the audience with his smooth movements and courageous dribbles. But England – with ten men left from the 2-0 win in the round of 16 at Wembley a year ago – were massed and often played long balls forward. But the German defense around Rüdiger was good.

The penalty areas often remained restricted areas. When Hofmann ran alone towards England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford after a long shot by Nico Schlotterbeck and scored the goal, the video assistant conceded the 1-0 for offside (23rd). Musiala shot too central into Pickford’s arms from 14 meters (45′). Neuer also had to prove his class for the first time, with the 36-year-old parrying a shot from Arsenal striker Bukayo Saka with his right fist (45.1.). Flick’s team picked up the reward for the more active style of play after the change of sides. Havertz playfully opened up the space in which Kimmich then found Hofmann as a passer, who crowned the fine move with his third goal in the national jersey. Pickford cut a bad figure, punching the ball past. Goalkeeper class, on the other hand, showed Germany’s number 1 a short time later when Neuer parried a powerful shot from Mason Mount with a flying insert.

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