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
— @MidsTerrier (@MidlandsTerrier) June 29, 2021
Southgate is a bottle job 3 atb and no creativity https://t.co/lRb6TPLUOz
— Dan (@danjoness_) June 29, 2021
https://twitter.com/Stvbbsy/status/1409888619410739208
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
https://twitter.com/Connor__AVFC/status/1409888141591318532
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….