“It’s actually inexplicable because England didn’t really want to play” – Germany star slams Three Lions’ tactics during 3-3 draw at Wembley
Germany midfielder Joshua Kimmich has criticized the tactics deployed by England during the two teams' UEFA Nations League clash.
The two heavyweight nations met at Wembley Stadium for their final Nations League group-stage encounter on Monday (September 26). They played out a wildly entertaining 3-3 draw, with all six goals coming in the second half.
While the match was a spectacle of excellent attacking play, Kimmich has slammed the Three Lions for solely focusing on playing on the counter. The Bayern Munich midfielder also criticized his own team for letting their lead slip to end up with just a point.
He said (as quoted by the Daily Mail):
"We had the game under control and were 2-0 up. After the 2-0, we become too passive and weren't brave enough against the ball."
Kimmich continued:
"England just played on the counterattack... It's actually inexplicable because England didn't really want to play. That shouldn't happen in the second half, because we completely gave the game away."
The spoils are shared after a rollercoaster second half 🎢
#ENGGER https://t.co/tZN2nlKzbF
England and Germany play out instant classic in final match before 2022 FIFA World Cup
The clash at Wembley was the final game for both England and Germany prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, set to commence this November.
Both teams entered the contest on the back of defeats against Italy and Hungary, respectively, in their previous group matches. Neither could get on the front foot consistently in the first half, but Germany improved after the break.
Die Mannschaft took the lead through Ilkay Gundogan's penalty after Jamal Musiala was fouled in the box by Harry Maguire. Musiala then robbed Maguire off the ball in midfield 15 minutes later and passed it to Timo Werner, who set up Kai Havertz to make it 2-0 with a stunning strike.
Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate responded by bringing on Bukayo Saka and Mason Mount, and the duo made an instant impact. They were involved in the build-up to Luke Shaw's 71st-minute goal before Mount got on the scoresheet from Saka's assist just four minutes later.
The hosts then took the lead at Wembley through Harry Kane's spot-kick after Jude Bellingham was fouled in the box. However, a calamitous error from goalkeeper Nick Pope allowed Havertz to score his second and give Germany a share of the spoils.
Next stop: the @FIFAWorldCup! 👊 https://t.co/6dCR0OqDKX
Both teams will now head into this winter's World Cup on the back of a draw and a defeat in their last two matches.
England have been drawn in Group B alongside Iran, Wales and the USA in the quadrennial tournament. Germany, meanwhile, are in Group E with Spain, Costa Rica and Japan.