ENGLAND U20 3, GERMANY U20 1
- Philipp Ochs with early free kick
- Ademola Lookman quickly equalises
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin scores twice to secure victory
- Lewis Cook limps off injured
Interim manager Paul Williams rotated his entire England U20 team after the impressive 2-0 win over Netherlands U20 team at Oldham’s SportsDirect.com Park on Wednesday night in their first game of the U20 Four Nations Tournament.
And England looked the fresher side despite a shaky start in front of 2,882 fans at the John Smith’s Stadium in Huddersfield against Germany U20.
Despite going a goal down after just 3 minutes to a fine Philippe Ochs free kick England recovered their composure to equalise through Ademola Lookman in the 13th minute.
Lookman also unlocked the Germany defence with a crossfield pass on the break that released Dominic Calvert-Lewin to score from the edge of the area to give England the lead after just 21 minutes.
Calvert-Lewin celebrated his first England start by making sure of victory late on when he neatly turned and fired home after Dominic Solanke beat two defenders and fed the ball to him.
After Wednesday’s early heroics at Oldham’s ground, England were brought down to earth when they conceded their own early goal through a sweetly struck left footed free kick by Philipp Ochs from 20 yards out.
The Germans briefly looked much more composed under pressure in the early stages with a high pressing style that will have impressed watching Huddersfield Town manager David Wagner.
To their credit, England weathered the storm, regained their composure, and began showing some of their own forward threat.
England regain composure, create and score brilliant chances against Germany
Ovie Ejaria’s header went wide after nine minutes before he fed Ademola Lookman whose goalbound shot looped off a defender and into the net past Muller after 13 minutes.
Both sides were looking to capitalise on the break but England looked the more dangerous on the counter attack.
It was no surprise when a long clearance for Lookman was won by the Charlton forward who turned his man and found Dominic Calvert-Lewin racing up the right flank unmarked.
The promising Everton man easily beat Muller with a shot from 20 yards to put England into the lead after 23 minutes.
Ejaria could have extended his lead but had his shot saved by Muller after half an hour as England began stretching Germany with counter attacks.
Having taken the lead, however, England restricted German attempts to get back into the game rather than forge ahead with more chances.
Germany came out early for the second half with two changes shoring up their vulnerable left flank which was ruthlessly exploited by England in the first half.
The sloppiness continued for the visitors though and there was a trio of bad fouls soon after the break which resulted in the yellow card being brandished twice and Lewis Cook going off injured as the Germans found it hard to cope.
Cook’s replacement, Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe, seemed to take the step up from the U19 squad in his stride as the screen in front of the back four.
Germany had looked out of sorts but they finally provided a real test for Dean Henderson in the England goal when substitute Maximilian Mittelstadt broke clear six yards from goal but the Manchester United youth ‘keeper, on loan at Grimsby, made the save.
Hope was shortlived for the visitors as Dominic Solanke broke into the box from the left, went past two defenders and cut the ball back for a turn and shot by Calvert-Lewin to score his second of the night and England’s third.
Henderson earned some well deserved praise from the crowd after a string of saves as Germany desperately tried to reduce the deficit late on but England introduced Reece Oxford – a sometime target of both Manchester United and Manchester City – to sit next to Tuanzebe in midfield to finally cut off the German supply line.