International friendlies: Buoyant England ready for Dutch challenge

Three Lions face Netherlands high on confidence after 3-2 comeback win over Germany

LONDON: Invigorated by Saturday’s thrilling 3-2 win over world champions Germany, England tackle the Netherlands today seeking to sustain the feel-good factor ahead of the European Championship.

Goals from Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Eric Dier saw an England team inspired by Dele Alli come from 2-0 down to beat Germany, and while manager Roy Hodgson was quick to downplay the result’s importance, there was no disguising the ebullience of his youthful team’s display.

Tuesday’s game is Hodgson’s last chance to experiment before he announces his squad for Euro 2016 on May 12 and with Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott also candidates for attacking roles — not forgetting injured duo Wayne Rooney and Raheem Sterling — he has plenty of options.

“I am sure he wants that,” said Tottenham Hotspur striker Kane, who took his international tally to four goals in nine appearances. “He wants everyone on top form and applying themselves well. You want the best players to be on form come the Euros.”



Shell-shocked Germany host bogey side Italy

Germany hunt a rare win over bogey side Italy in a friendly international in Munich today as the world champions seek to bounce back from their defeat to England.

Joachim Low’s Germany threw away a two-goal lead in Berlin on Saturday to slump to a 3-2 loss against Roy Hodgson’s England.

“That was a wake-up call,” fumed Germany captain Sami Khedira, a stand-in with Bastian Schweinsteiger ruled out of the Italy friendly with a knee injury.

Less than three months before the start of the European championships in France, the England defeat exposed sloppy defending and lack of composure in the world champions’ ranks.

On the back of an unconvincing qualifying campaign for Euro 2016, the defeat to England has further rattled the Germans.



“We have to be clear that a game like that in a tournament means you’re going home,” said Germany striker Mario Gomez, who netted against England and had a goal disallowed.

Wilmots facing enforced changes for Portugal friendly

Belgium step up their Euro 2016 preparations with a friendly against Portugal in Leiria today, with a string of first team players missing.

The match was originally scheduled to take place in Brussels, but was rearranged to be played in the Portuguese city after the terror attacks in Belgium last week that left 35 people dead.

During the week head coach Marc Wilmots asked his players if they wanted to still play the match in the wake of the attacks.

“If one of them had opposed, we would not have played. But they all expressed a desire to play,” he said.

Belgium are the world’s top ranked team heading into the Euros and are on a five-match unbeaten run, but Wilmots will have a depleted side at his disposal in Portugal.



Spain held on record night for Casillas

Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas equalled the record of most international caps for a European player as two-time defending European champions Spain drew 0-0 against Romania in Cluj.

Casillas, who made his national team debut in June 2000, returned after sitting out Thursday’s 1-1 draw in Italy to move level with former Latvia midfielder Vitalijs Astafjevs on 166 appearances.

Romania meanwhile took to the field for the warm-up wearing training tops featuring maths problems, rather than shirt numbers, as part of an initiative aimed at combating the country’s poor school dropout rate.

Barcelona midfielder Sergi Roberto was handed his Spain debut as Vicente del Bosque made wholesale changes to the side that played in Udine three days ago, with their opening game at Euro 2016 just over two months away.

Gerard Pique and Pedro Rodriguez tested Romania keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu early on, while Casillas — still well shy of Egyptian Ahmed Hassan’s all-time record of 184 international caps — was twice forced to turn away efforts from Nicolae Stanciu.

Pique fired straight at Tatarusanu just after half-time after a corner found the Barcelona defender unmarked beyond the far post, but Spain found a Romanian defence that conceded just twice in 10 qualifying matches difficult to break down.

Romania, who qualified for the finals in France as runners-up in Group F, stretched their unbeaten run to 16 matches — a sequence which includes five goalless draws — with Spain now turning their focus towards a third straight European crown.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th,  2016.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.