LONDON: England’s World Cup ambitions will be placed beneath an unforgiving spotlight today when they tackle arch rivals Germany at Wembley Stadium in their final fixture of 2013.
Roy Hodgson’s side saw a 10-game unbeaten run ended in disappointing fashion by Chile on Friday and in Germany they face a team who dropped only two points in qualifying for next year’s World Cup in Brazil.
The game is the latest chapter in a story that has conjured up some of the most enduring images in the sport’s history, from England’s triumph in the 1966 World Cup final at Wembley to the Germans’ spot-kick success in the European Championship semi-finals on the same turf 30 years later.
The sides have been evenly matched in recent encounters, with three wins apiece in the six matches that have taken place since the turn of the century.
Their last encounter, however, was crushingly one-sided, with Germany running out 4-1 victors in a last-16 tie at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa that left deep scars on the English psyche.
Germany ultimately went out in the semi-finals and they also fell in the last four at Euro 2012, but England midfielder Frank Lampard believes that Joachim Loew’s men are now an even more formidable prospect.
“They’ve got a very, very strong international squad, not just the XI,” said the Chelsea midfielder.
“Their style of play is very good. I think they’ve improved.”
Lampard was famously denied a goal in that 2010 Bloemfontein encounter despite his lobbed half-volley crossing the line with England 2-1 behind, but the 35-year-old says Tuesday’s friendly will not be a revenge mission.
“Coming home from then, there was a very negative feel; not just press and public, but in the squad itself,” he said.AFP
