With England set to take on arch-enemy Germany in a ‘friendly’ international at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday night, we take a look back at 10 classic encounters between the two European giants from the post-war years.
1966: England 4-2 West Germany
The World Cup final at Wembley saw Alf Ramsey’s men get their hands on the Jules Rimet trophy for the very first, and so far only, time in the country’s history after a tense extra-time victory over their old foes, secured thanks to a hat-trick from stand-in striker Geoff Hurst, as well as a little help also from a Russian linesman.
1970: England 2-3 West Germany
The holders appeared to be cruising towards a semi-final showdown with Italy at the 1970 World Cup, leading 2-0 with just 20 minutes to go in their last-eight clash.
However, Three Lions manager Sir Alf Ramsey then decided to substitute key midfield player Bobby Charlton in order to rest the veteran Manchester United star for the next match against the Azzurri, and back came the Germans, who took the tie into extra time, before Gerd Muller poached a winner from close range in Leon, Mexico, past stand-in keeper Peter ‘The Cat’ Bonetti.
1982: England 0-0 West Germany
Although the scoreline may make this particular clash appear uneventful, it was in actual fact a cagey, tense, edge-of-your seat thriller at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid, in which both sides were keen to grab the win that would leave them with one foot in the final of the 1982 World Cup against eventual winners Italy.
1990: England 1-1 West Germany
One of the stand-out matches of the entire tournament at Italia 90 between two of the three best outfits in that year’s World Cup, with nothing able to separate the arch rivals, even after another 30 minutes of extra time, resulting in the dreaded penalty shootout.
And we all know what happens when England face the Germans in a spot-kick challenge … cue embarrassing TV advert involving Chris Waddle.
1996: England 1-1 Germany
Again, the two most impressive outfits at Euro 96 came face to face with a place in the final at stake against the Czech Republic, although Terry Venables’s side did have the advantage of playing on home soil.
That, in the end, did not help the Three Lions who despite taking an early lead through tournament top-scorer Alan Shearer, were still pegged back by the visitors, before the match than went to an inevitable, and dreaded, penalty shootout.
And just as in Turin six years earlier, the Germans proved more accurate with their spot kicks than their hosts, winning 6-5 after Gareth Southgate saw his limp effort saved.
2000: England 1-0 Germany
Finally, a first victory for the Three Lions over the Germans in a competitive match since 1966, achieved thanks to yet another header from that man Shearer, although in truth, this was a desperately disappointing contest between two poor outfits who would both go on to be eliminated from Euro 2000 at the group stage.
2000: England 0-1 Germany
The final-ever match to be staged at the ‘old’ Wembley Stadium, but typically the Germans had not read the script, with Liverpool midfield player Dietmar Hamann scoring the only goal of the game with a free kick that somehow managed to squirm under the body of goalkeeper David Seamen.
And then after the match, England boss Kevin Keegan resigned from his post in the Wembley toilets, claiming that he was just not up to the task of managing his country.
2001: Germany 1-5 England
Only the host’s second-ever loss on home soil in a World Cup qualifier, although this was not just any old defeat, it was an utter humiliation for Rudi Voeller and Co, and all this after Germany had actually taken an early lead through giant front man Carsten Jancker.
However, the soon-to-be crowned European Footballer of the Year Michael Owen responded with a typically clinical hat-trick, although in the end it was the Germans, and not Sven-Goran Eriksson’s England, who would go on to make it through to the following year’s World Cup final in Japan.
2008: Germany 1-2 England
Headed goals either side of the break from centre-back duo John Terry and Matthew Upson inflicted a first loss in fortress Berlin for 35 years on the Germans, however, when Fabio Capello’s side then came face to face with the same team two years later in the World Cup, it was a very different story entirely.
2010: England 1-4 Germany
A Mesut Ozil-inspired Germany tore Capello’s men apart in this second-round clash in Bloemfontein at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, although it could have all been so different had Chelsea midfield player Frank Lampard’s shot been ruled a goal after clearly going over the goalline when the score was 2-1 to Germany.
However, that fightback from the Three Lions was ended there, and as England went in desperate search of an equaliser, they were picked off on the counterattack by a ruthless Germany.