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England vs. Germany: Last 5 meetings | UEFA Euro 2020 

England fans will be hoping for a repeat of their famous 1-5 win over Germany when the two sides face off next week
England fans will be hoping for a repeat of their famous 1-5 win over Germany when the two sides face off next week

After a dramatic end to the group stage, we now know the full line-up for the knockout stage of Euro 2020. In a huge game in the Round of 16, old rivals England and Germany face off at Wembley.

The rivalry between England and Germany is a massively storied one dating back to the 1966 World Cup final, but in recent years we’ve seen some equally dramatic meetings between the two.

So with this in mind, it’s time to take a look back at the last five competitive meetings between England and Germany as we build up to what promises to be an incredible clash.


#5 England 1-1 Germany – Germany won 5-6 on penalties (UEFA Euro 1996)

Current England boss Gareth Southgate missed the crucial penalty at Euro 96 to hand semi-final victory to Germany
Current England boss Gareth Southgate missed the crucial penalty at Euro 96 to hand semi-final victory to Germany

Probably the most dramatic meeting between England and Germany post-1966 came in the semi-finals of Euro 1996.

The tournament took place in England, and Terry Venables’ side captured the imagination of the fans like never before, riding on a crest of a wave into the semi-finals to face their old rivals.

Germany, for their part, were quietly impressive during the tournament, sailing through a tricky group before eliminating a dangerous Croatia side in the quarter-finals.

Early on, it looked like this semi-final would go England’s way, just as the 1966 World Cup final had. Alan Shearer opened the scoring with a well-worked header from a corner after just three minutes.

13 minutes later, though, Germany were level following an excellent finish from Stefan Kuntz, and from there, the game developed into a cagy yet entertaining encounter. When normal time couldn’t split the sides, the game went to extra-time, with the added jeopardy of the Golden Goal rule making things even more intense.

Both sides could’ve won the game; Kuntz had a second goal overruled for a foul, while Darren Anderton and Paul Gascoigne missed huge chances for England. In the end though, the game went the same way that a previous meeting in the 1990 World Cup did – with Germany winning after a penalty shoot-out.

Five players from each side scored before current England boss Gareth Southgate infamously missed his spot-kick, allowing Andy Moller to fire Germany into the final.

Germany went on to win the tournament, while England would not get as far again until the 2018 World Cup.


#4 England 1-0 Germany (UEFA Euro 2000)

Alan Shearer scored the winning goal as England defeated Germany 1-0 at Euro 2000
Alan Shearer scored the winning goal as England defeated Germany 1-0 at Euro 2000

Four years after their epic meeting at Euro 1996, England and Germany met again in the group stages of Euro 2000. It would be a very different match.

Not only were both sides far weaker than they’d been during that game at Wembley, but they were also in desperate need of a win following poor results in their opening game.

The match simply couldn’t touch the drama of 1996, although it did come close at times with both sides missing gilt-edged chances throughout the contest.

Germany goalkeeper Oliver Khan tipped a Michael Owen header onto the post, while Paul Scholes also saw a shot well-saved. And Mehmet Scholl and Carsten Jancker both missed huge chances for Germany, with Jancker’s in particular looking easier to score.

Alan Shearer would be the man to settle the game in the end. He found himself inexplicably unmarked in the penalty box, and managed to steer a David Beckham free-kick home with a beautiful diving header.

England celebrated their win wildly, as was to be expected, but their glory was only fleeting. Three days later they crashed out of the tournament following a loss to Romania, while Germany were also sent packing after a one-sided thumping at the hands of Portugal.

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