5 reasons why Germany will beat England at UEFA Euro 2020

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A heavyweight fixture is scheduled for Tuesday when Germany meet England at Wembley in the round of 16 of UEFA Euro 2020.

bundesliga.com offers five reasons why Joachim Löw’s team can qualify for the quarter-finals.

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1) history is on their side

When Germany and England compete against each other, it is often a classic. England won the 1966 FIFA World Cup final after extra time at Wembley, but since then it’s usually Germany who have kept their cool when it really matters.

Germany lead the head-to-head record 15-13, with four draws, but in competitive matches the 2014 World Cup winners have come out much more often. The 1966 victory was the only time England got the upper hand in the World Cup, with Germany winning three of their other five meetings in that competition. England have won only one of four qualifying matches, while the two sides share a European Championship victory each.

Germany have fond memories of playing at Wembley, winning the Euro 1996 final in London here. – imago sportfotodienst / imago / Buzzi

Recent history, however, is very much in favor of Germany. On their way to winning the 1990 World Cup, they beat England on penalties in the semi-finals in Rome. In the most recent competitive meeting, Löw’s side beat England 4-1 in the round of 16 in the 2010 edition in South Africa. Manuel Neuer was between the posts that day, and Thomas Müller scored the last two goals and won the Man of the Match award.

Germany’s competitive record in London is also good. In October 2000, Dietmar Hamann scored the only goal in a World Cup qualifying match in the last game played at the old Wembley Stadium. Twenty-five years ago this month, Germany again spoiled the party in the semi-finals of the 1996 UEFA Euro. An injury-ravaged team displayed admirable courage and skill in an epic meeting at Wembley, eventually winning on penalties before beating the Czech Republic in the final.

2) England could overlook a key player

Anyone who has watched the Bundesliga or the UEFA Champions League cannot understand why one of England’s assets saw so little playing time at Euro 2020. Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho had to wait England’s last group game to make his first appearance, and only continued for six minutes.

Watch: Sancho’s 5 best goals!

“He would be in my squad at the best of times, if everyone is in good shape,” said former Bayern Munich and Liverpool midfielder Hamann. RTE ahead of their 1-0 victory over the Czech Republic in the last group game.

“He’s been on fire in the Bundesliga over the past two seasons. He’s been brilliant in the league, in the Champions League… if you want to go far in this tournament, at some point you need Sancho – he’s a game-changer. “

Hamann isn’t the only German expert – or fan – who would be relieved if Sancho didn’t start on Tuesday. The Dortmund star has wowed European audiences since 2017, making a huge statement scoring 17 goals and 16 assists in the 2019/20 Bundesliga season.

An injury kept the wide and delicate man from matching those numbers in 2020/21, but he returned in sensational form in April to save Dortmund’s season. The 21-year-old scored twice in a vital victory against RB Leipzig in May, his side winning their last seven league games to secure a third place.

Five days after his first star tour against Leipzig, Sancho did it again against the same opposition in the DFB Cup final. He won a magnificent first game before adding Dortmund’s third in a 4-1 triumph. This brought Sancho’s total goals in black and yellow to 16 in all competitions in 2020/21, and to 50 in 137 appearances for the club.

3) Germany have a key returning player

Leon Goretzka is another man whose progress has been interrupted by an injury. After helping Bayern win a treble in 2019/20, the midfielder has missed 14 games for the nine consecutive Bundesliga champions in 2020/21.

Germany head coach Löw had to be patient with the 26-year-old, allowing Goretzka to return to action with a 17-minute appearance in the 4-2 group stage victory against Portugal.

He improved that by getting 32 minutes against Hungary and meeting his team’s hour of need. Goretzka beat a home equalizer in the 2-2 draw, a goal that set up the knockout round clash with England.

“I’m really happy,” he said after his late exploits in Germany’s last group game in Munich. “Watching the game from the bench and seeing how hard it is just makes you want to give more when you come in.”

Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka crushed Hungary’s dreams for UEFA Euro 2020 with a late goal that saw Germany meet England in the round of 16. – Frank Hoermann / SVEN SIMON via www.imago-images.de/imago images / Sven Simon

Goretzka is clearly ready to play his part in the later stages of the tournament. L̦w must think that the power and box-to-box style of the former Schake player could come in handy at Wembley Рmaybe even from the start.

4) Kimmich and Gosens can do damage

So far Joshua Kimmich and Robin Gosens are Germany’s two best performers. Kimmich showed versatility as he left the central midfielder to play on the right side in a 3-4-3 formation, a system that clearly benefits Atalanta’s Gosens as well.

The mainstay of Bayern Kimmich – a potential future World Player of the Year, according to Hansi Flick – has been a constant threat with his precise crosses. He was named UEFA’s Match Star for the game against Hungary, while Gosens took that honor for a barnstorming performance on the left against Portugal. The 26-year-old scored one goal and created two more in this crucial victory.

“His performance against Portugal almost knocked me out of my seat!” Former Germany international Steffen Freund – who played in the 1996 match at Wembley – wrote in a column for UEFA. “He set the pace for the game, defending and attacking. He posed a threat in every move he took part in.”

Watch: Discover Kimmich’s Bundesliga mixtape!

England have cut and changed full-backs so far, and any weakness is likely to be ruthlessly exploited by the in-form German wide pair. Löw also has the luxury of appealing to Bayern teenager Jamal Musiala, who scored Goretzka’s goal with a brilliant impact on the left against Hungary.

5) they know how to win

Another difference between the two teams is that the majority of the German team has been there and done it. Neuer, Müller, defender Mats Hummels and midfielder Toni Kroos all started the 2014 World Cup final, for example, when Germany kept their cool to beat Argentina after extra time.

Germany have reached the semi-final or better in five of the six tournaments Löw has been responsible for, while at club level many of the squad are serial champions. Müller has won the Bundesliga a record 10 times in his career, while Neuer has also been with Bayern for each of their nine successive league wins. Both men celebrated their victory twice in the UEFA Champions League, with their first victory at Wembley against Dortmund in 2013. They also won the FIFA Club World Cup trophy twice among a crowd of other pieces of silverware.

Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and striker Thomas Müller both raised their arms after Germany’s 2014 FIFA World Cup victory. England at Wembley? – imago sportfotodienst / imago / MIS

Hummels were with this pair for some of their successes in Bavaria, while he also won back-to-back Bundesliga titles under Jürgen Klopp in Dortmund before claiming his third DFB Cup winner medal last month. Former Bayern Kroos midfielder has won the Champions League four times, while former Dortmund player Ilkay Gündogan has won three of the last four English Premier League titles with Manchester City.

Like Goretzka, Kimmich, Emre Can, Matthias Ginter and Niklas Süle, Antonio Rüdiger and Timo Werner were part of the German squad that won the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. Alongside Kai Havertz – who scored the only goal of this year’s final – Rüdiger and Werner won the 2020/21 Champions League with Chelsea.

So wherever you look, Germany has players who know how to win. It can make all the difference in knockout football.

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