ALLI’S MADE TO LUK BAD
Podolski signs off in style as Spurs ace misses out
DELE ALLI fluffed a glorious chance to give Gareth Southgate Dortmund delight last night before Lukas Podolski stole the show.
Against a much-changed German team who had not conceded in more than nine hours of football this season, the Spurs star should have done much better in the 41st minute.
Set up by a quick pass from Jamie Vardy, he found himself unmarked, with plenty of time to pick his spot.
But as keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen advanced, Alli drilled a low shot far too close to the Barcelona stopper, who was able to block.
Alli put his hands up to his head, knowing he had messed up a superb opportunity to claim his third England goal.
He was still scratching his bonce as he walked off at the break, for it was a really poor miss.
It looked more costly in the 69th minute when former Arsenal star Podolski smashed into the top corner with that trusty left foot to send home supporters into raptures on the forward’s last international appearance.
Mighty
This was supposed to be a brave new world from Southgate.
The England boss surprised plenty by going with an Antonio Conte-style 3-4-3 formation, with uncapped Michael Keane of Burnley and West Brom’s Jake Livermore thrown in against the mighty Germans.
To be fair to Southgate, he must have felt this was a “lose, lose” match.
A defeat would see doubts cast on his reign right at the beginning. A victory, and critics would point out that is what Roy Hodgson achieved almost exactly a year ago in Berlin with a glorious 3-2 success.
But that, of course, ended up being meaningless as the Three Lions were humiliated at Euro 2016.
Kick-off was delayed by eight minutes to allow Podolski’s farewell party to begin before his 130th and final Germany appearance.
Vardy tried to earn a penalty in the sixth minute when, following Alli’s pass, he skipped round Ter Stegen and tumbled as the keeper rushed to block him.
Referee Damir Skomina waved play on, but did not have a word with the Leicester star who has earned a reputation for going down too easily.
Keane could have claimed a glorious debut goal when Ryan Bertrand’s corner was flicked on by Vardy and the Clarets centreback found the ball at his feet and blazed over.
He then did well to block a shot from Podolski after Chris Smalling lost possession to Toni Kroos as he tried to move upfield.
Eric Dier was on target with a header from an Adam Lallana corner, but with no power to trouble Ter Stegen.
Lallana was unlucky in the 32nd minute after a superb surging run downfield, after winning the ball back, never allowing his pursuers in white shirts to gain on him.
He thrust on into the box and slipped a left-foot shot past Ter Stegen, but the ball hit the outside of the keeper’s left post.
England had a close shave soon after the restart, Joe Hart punching a Kroos corner straight to Julian Brandt, whose volley flashed just past the England keeper’s right post.
But there was a surprising lack of intensity in the Germans’ performance, with the Three Lions being allowed time on the ball.
Germany boss Joachim Low watched standing up with hands in pockets, and at times his men looked dormant in Dortmund, but England could not exploit their opponents’ lack of zest.
A big plus for Southgate, though, was the performance of Keane. If Manchester City’s John Stones, who was on the bench, is worth £48m it begged the question what the Burnley man would fetch.