Germany 1-1 England: ‘Jack Grealish should start next game after impressive Munich cameo’

Harry Kane scored his 50th England goal as Jack Grealish’s cameo helped change the game

England left it late to show positive intent against Germany in Munich but that significant shift in attitude not only delivered a welcome draw but might also prove instructional for the future.

For too long, Gareth Southgate’s side plodded and laboured around the margins of this Uefa Nations League game and looked to be heading for a second straight defeat after the dismal loss to Hungary in Budapest on Saturday.

The kind interpretation would have been that England were leg-weary and mentally fatigued after a gruelling season as they were second best to a Germany team that is decent but hardly vintage.

Germany were looking more like adding to Jonas Hofmann’s deflected 50th-minute opener than falling victim to an England equaliser, until the introduction of Manchester City’s Jack Grealish for Mason Mount with 18 minutes left released the handbrake.

Southgate has come under scrutiny for conservatism and his substitutions in the past but here he got them right and those he introduced changed the game. It was desperately required as a disjointed England looked like subsiding once more but they got there eventually after those substitutions.

Grealish suddenly had Germany’s defenders on the back foot, almost creating a leveller for Kane as he saw his shot somehow kept out by keeper Manuel Neuer. Harry Maguire had a header clawed to safety by Neuer, with West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen adding to the width and thrust when he came on for Bukayo Saka and almost played in Raheem Sterling.

England’s threat was growing and was realised when Nico Schlotterbeck brought down Kane in the area with two minutes left. It looked like a penalty to the naked eye inside the Allianz Arena as Kane led protests to referee Carlos del Cerro Grande – which almost resulted in a German goal on the counter-attack.

The VAR screen confirmed the first impression, Kane making no mistake for his 50th England goal in 71 appearances, taking him ahead of Sir Bobby Charlton into second place in the standings and only three behind record holder Wayne Rooney.

It was a late shot but a reward for taking the game to Germany rather than the ponderous, stilted stuff that created the occasional problem for Hansi Flick’s side but no sustained pressure.

England deserve credit for finding fresh energy late on, mostly down to the efforts of the lively Grealish, who provided real drive on the left flank. He was perhaps unlucky not to get the nod ahead of Chelsea’s Mount, who looks jaded as the season moves into June.

Grealish should certainly start England’s next game.

Southgate went with a 4-2-3-1 formation and it looks increasingly like Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips are cemented as his midfield duo, although this suffered early disruption when the Leeds United player went off injured.

Having taken a point in a fixture that is always competitive and carries meaning, England can travel back for a Molineux double-header against Italy and Hungary feeling a little better about themselves after their first international at Bayern Munich’s magnificent Allianz Arena.

It was fitting that it was captain Kane who came to the rescue, the likelihood growing that he will start England’s World Cup campaign against Iran in Qatar in November as his country’s greatest goalscorer.

Kane’s England scoring record is truly remarkable and while some occasionally shape it around easy hits against the likes of San Marino, no-one should question the Tottenham striker’s right to a place in that elite group.

Southgate opted for a back-four here and it did not convince, the long-held fear that they will be vulnerable to attacks of the highest class continuing to linger.

The early injury to Phillips was certainly a blow to Southgate’s gameplan as England regrouped after Budapest but it allowed further confirmation of the class of Jude Bellingham, with the midfielder once again playing with assurance way beyond his 19 years.

There was irony in that, for the first hour at least, Germany’s best bet was Bayern Munich’s 19-year-old Jamal Musiala, who played alongside Bellingham in England’s under-15 and under-17 teams before opting to switch allegiance.

He delighted the home fans in the usual boisterous German atmosphere. Musiala looks like one for the future for Germany and one that got away for England.

England looked happy with their point as they acknowledged thousands of travelling supporters perched in the stands in Munich and can certainly go into their final two internationals of this break with morale lifted.

It was, however, too dull, and too scrappy for too long, but the belated power of positive thinking paid off for Southgate and England.