England vs Germany – Ranking the best games

England vs Germany – Ranking the best games

England against Germany is one of the biggest games in international football. It is a fixture that is full of history, drama and emotions. Gary Neville has described this evening’s match as a “major national moment”, and a chance for England’s players to make history, facing their international rivals at their home stadium of Wembley. With tonight’s game being one of the biggest England vs Germany fixtures in recent history, we will look at the five best matches between the two nations.

5. England 1 – 4 Germany – 2010

Eleven years ago almost to the day, marks one of England’s lowest points in recent football history. Both teams at the time boasted strong line-ups. For England, Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard and Terry were all in their prime and held a strong structure to the England team. While Germany had goal scoring machine Miroslav Klose, the ever reliable Bastian Schweinsteiger, the magician Mesut Ozil, a young Manuel Neuer and the world class Philipp Lahm.

The game was level for only twenty minutes, before miraculously, German goalkeeper Neuer turned provider for Klose to put Germany ahead. Twelve minutes later Podolski added a second. England found hope through Matthew Upson which got them back into the game. Then the ghost goal. Sadly it wasn’t a repeat of Geoff Hurst’s World Cup goal, even though it was miles further over the line. Lampard’s superb effort sailed over Neuer, off of the bar and hit the floor well over the goal line, but it wasn’t to be given. The Germans capitalised and went onto score three more and England went crashing out of the World Cup at the last 16 stage. England fans will not be hoping for a repeat of that this time out.

4. England 2 – 3 West Germany – 1970

For years after England’s World Cup final triumph, the two nations went head to head again. This time in the quarter-final in Mexico. England only managed two goals in the group stages of the tournament, while the West Germans scored ten in their three group matches. With England goalkeeping legend Gordon Banks out of the match with food poisoning, Bonetti then of Chelsea was in-between the sticks trying to keep the Germans at bay. This added to England boss bizarrely taking Bobby Charlton out of the game as well as taking Peters off the pitch in replace of Hunter. This gave West Germany all the momentum, allowing them to equal the score at two a piece to force extra time. West Germany scored the deciding goal in the second period of extra time, killing England’s hopes of successfully retaining the World Cup.

3. Germany 1 – 5 England – 2001

After losing 1-0 to the Germans at the last ever match at the old Wembley, England got revenge in the best way imaginable. Prior to this, Germany had only ever lost one World Cup qualifier on home turf, back in 1985. The home side did take the lead after a wobbly start from then Sven Goran Eriksson’s England. But then goals from Gerrard, Heskey and a hat-trick from a young Michael Owen, who went onto win the Ballon d’or that year, sealed a memorable 5-1 win over the Germans.

2. England 1 – West Germany 1 – 1990

Italia 90. Bobby Robson and his England team went into the tournament with very high hopes. A goal machine in Gary Lineker, a young Paul Gascoigne who’s footballing ability was was second to none, as well as a team stacked with talent. This was England’s first World Cup semi final since they won the trophy in 1966.

West Germany however looked invincible. Although, when emotions are at their peak in a World Cup semi-final against your fiercest rivals, form goes out of the window. It finished 1-1 after 90 minutes, but the game is mostly remembered for the 30 minutes and penalties that followed. Gascoigne’s tears after a yellow card ruling him out of the final. Followed by the most gruelling and cruel penalty shootout, which broke English hearts after Stuart Pearce and Chris Waddle missed the decisive penalties, which saw West Germany progress to the final and eventually win the tournament.

1. England 4 – 2 West Germany – 1966

English football’s finest game. No other final has produced more goals. The moment that every living football fan at the time will remember is Hurst’s hat trick goal. Cannoning in off the bar which at the time was decided over the line in controversial fashion due to the lack of technology there is available now. England came away 4-2 winners, and Bobby Moore and his England team lifted the World Cup for the first and and for now still the only time.

We hope you enjoyed the article ‘England vs Germany – Ranking the best games.’ Which England vs Germany game is your all time favourite? Let us know!

Read more on football below:

• The dark horses of Euro 2020
• Wembley to welcome 60,000 fans at semi-finals
• Euro 2020 Fixtures: Who will play who?