Euro 2020 Preview: What to expect in Germany vs England showdown at Wembley
Now that the boys have been separated from the men in the ongoing Euro 2020, the stage is set for the strongest in the Round of 16 as the tournament heats up.
Before we go into the preview, note that the match will be live on SuperSports Euro2020 (DStv channel 204) by 5pm, on Tuesday, June 29 2021.
The ruthless German team which parades some intimidating players will be going up against England, the country with the most popular and highest ranking football league in Europe.
Leon Goretzka, who came off the bench to score an equalizer for Germany in the 2-2 draw against Hungary, sets up a Germany vs England showdown in the last-16.
The Round of 16 game between England and Germany is the kind of match many football fans would have loved to see in the final of Euro 2020. So, it will not be out of place to say the finals came early.
Coming out of what many pundits tagged the ‘group of death’ with four points, Germany has scored six and conceded five, and will throw everything in the ring to edge over England as they gun for European glory.
After struggling to emerge runners-up in Group F, if Joachim Low’s men travel to Wembley with the kind of performance they put up against Hungary in their last Group game, they may just be out of the tournament.
Could it be that Germany underrated Hungary? We may not be able to say, but the German team that defeated Portugal in their second group match was nothing close to the team that struggled so hard to go past the Hungarians despite dominating the possession.
The bravery and hard fighting spirit they put up against Portugal was missing in Budapest, but it will likely not be so when they go to Wembley on Tuesday, June 29, 2021.
German coach Joachim Low, who will be stepping down at the end of Euro 2020 after leading the team since 2004, has told England to expect an improved German team at Wembley on Tuesday.
“What matters is that we are through. Now we play with England and we can look forward to that match. It is an absolute highlight to play at Wembley against England. We will be a different team than tonight, I can promise you that,” Low said.
The Three Lions on the other hand finished top of Group D without conceding any goal, scoring just two goals in three games. Much is expected from the England team in attack if they truly want to upset a German team that has scored six, conceded five and could pull up surprises any time. But what England lacked in attack, they have made up for it in defense as they are yet to concede any goal in the tournament. But is that enough to win the Euro 2020?
How they stand.
In three of the last four games between Germany and England, fewer than three goals have been scored between the two countries.
A stalemate in the first 90 minutes cannot be totally ruled out on Tuesday. Germany may find it difficult to penetrate the England defense to get a goal, while the Three Lions may struggle in attack as they have done in their previous games.
In their last seven encounters, Germany has won four against England, and their last meeting in 2017 ended in a goalless draw.
Should the match head into a penalty shoot-out, Germany has Manuel Neuer who rarely makes mistakes and has an excellent record of saving from the spot.
England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was the hero at the 2018 World Cup after his shootout saves against Colombia helped England reach the quarter-finals.
Pickford also has a decent penalty record in the Premier League, but his record pales when put side-by-side with Neuer’s.
This game and other matches from Euro 2020 will be live on DStv and GOtv.
