The most important thing in football is to actually play the team in front of you rather than the occasion or even the idea of your opponent, but that’s harder to do when they’ve bested you on the biggest stage time and time again.
This Germany team is still strong and they will probably go to the final with a chance to win if they emerge victorious today, but England are also at home and have a squad packed with attacking talent.
Gareth Southgate did make a point of getting plenty of defenders into his squad, and he’s managed to squeeze most of them into the starting line-up today:
Your #ThreeLions to face Germany in the Round of 16 at #EURO2020… ? pic.twitter.com/ZkAgOcGOFz
— England (@England) June 29, 2021
One thing about this Germany team is that they’ve shown they’re fragile in defence so this was the perfect chance to get after them and take control of the game, but it looks like England are going to try and squeeze out a narrow victory instead.
Perhaps it will work, but there’s little joy about this starting XI and the fans are not happy at all:
Southgate u absolute bottle job, deserve to lose. 7 defenders at home to a bang average German team. #ENGGER
— Sean Castle (@MidlandsTerrier) June 29, 2021
Southgate is a bottle job 3 atb and no creativity https://t.co/lRb6TPLUOz
— Dan (@danjoness_) June 29, 2021
Bottle job Southgate, after watching an attacking performance from Hungary with les quality than us nearly knock them out
— James (@Stvbbsy) June 29, 2021
Shocking line up. No bottle Southgate, should go straight for the jugular tut tut #EURO2020
— we are not who we are (@shilton_dominic) June 29, 2021
I can’t believe we’re about to be knocked out because Southgate hasn’t got the bottle to put aside this grealish agenda
— Connor (@Connor__AVFC) June 29, 2021
Absolute bottle job tactics from Southgate
— Morgan Walton (@morgan___walton) June 29, 2021
At least we know where the blame will be placed if this goes wrong tonight….