The Tottenham Hotspur forward showed fine movement and cute attacking play, but just lacked a goal to mark him out as the game’s most valuable performer
On a still, at times rather slow-burn night in Dortmund England did enough to win, ended up losing, but still looked in patches like a team feeling away at the edges of its new shape, exploring with interest some new post‑Rooney attacking gears.
By the end they had also received a lesson in how to win, in the importance of cold hard edge in between the grace notes. Lukas Podolski hadn’t really done much by the 69th minute of this match. He touched the ball 30 times in all, chugged about eagerly, perhaps looked a little puffed towards the end. But when the ball did finally arrive at his feet in just the right spot he took the game away from England, looking up, seeing the space in front of him and spanking a wonderful shot into the top corner past Joe Hart.
Related: Lukas Podolski’s farewell stunner for Germany sinks new-look England
Related: Gareth Southgate says England were the better side against Germany
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