Harry Kane’s strike hands England point vs Germany

Harry Kane’s 50th international goal guided England to a 1-1 draw in Germany and their first Nations League point of the campaign.

After Saturday’s defeat in Hungary, England were staring at successive Nations League defeats when Jonas Hofmann’s second-half strike took Germany to within three minutes of victory of the Allianz Arena in Munich.

But, after a VAR review, Nico Schlotterbeck’s clumsy trip on Kane presented the England captain with a late penalty which he ruthlessly dispatched past Manuel Neuer to move to within three goals of Wayne Rooney’s 53-goal record.

England remain at the foot of Nations League Group A3 with one point from their opening two games but, having avoided back-to-back competitive defeats for the first time since 2014 World Cup, Gareth Southgate’s side can carry the momentum of this comeback into Saturday’s reunion with Euro 2020 conquerors Italy at Molineux.

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Southgate fielded the most-experienced XI of his England tenure in Munich, though that was not immediately apparent. The visitors creaked under the intensity and precision of Germany’s pressing and would have conceded the opening goal inside three minutes had Kyle Walker not been on hand to prevent Thomas Muller turning in Antonio Rudiger’s near-post flick from a corner.

Harry Kane drew Manuel Neuer into his first save with a speculative long-range drive soon after before Germany had the ball in the England net when Muller lobbed over the stranded Jordan Pickford, but with Kalvin Phillips down injured in the build-up, the goal was not allowed to stand.

Raheem Sterling returned to earn his 75th England cap as Gareth Southgate made five changes following Saturday’s defeat in Hungary, from which Jordan Pickford, Kyle Walker, Harry Maguire, Declan Rice, Mason Mount and Harry Kane retained their places.