Leroy Sane carried his club form onto the international stage, while Marcel Halstenberg made a strong first impression on his international debut. Timo Werner and Julian Draxler disappointed up front.
Image: Reuters/T. Melville
Advertisement
Marc-Andre ter Stegen — 7
While Germany survived some nervy moments, ter Stegen didn't have to make a single save in the first half. However, the Barcelona shot-stopper was at his best when called upon, denying Jamie Vardy's close-range header with a world class reflex save – his only stop of note in the entire game.
Matthias Ginter – 6
Ginter was forced to come to his side's rescue on a couple of occasions, but in resorting to panicky defending, also seemed the least assured of Germany's three-man backline on and off the ball. Not a good enough performance to move up the pecking order.
Mats Hummels – 7
Captaining his national team for the first time in his career, Hummels put in a captain's performance without producing his most electrifying outing at the heart of Germany's defence. Came to his side's rescue with a last-ditch clearance on the hour mark and was the clear winner of the three centre-backs.
Had to rely on his pace to recover position with Tammy Abraham and Jamie Vardy looking to get in behind. If Löw is thinking of using a three-man backline in Russia, you have to wonder whether Rüdiger has done enough tomove ahead of Niklas Süle in the race to line-up alongside Hummels and Jerome Boateng.
Joachim Löw didn't see any goals, but has plenty to consider after the game against EnglandImage: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Charisius
Joshua Kimmich – 6
The in-form Bayern youngster coped well with the threat posed by Danny Rose, but did find himself caught up field with England threatening on the counter too often. While he got into advanced positions well, his end product wasn't as on point as it has been of late.
Ilkay Gündogan – 8
Making his first appearance for Die Nationalmannschaft in 360 days, Gündogan displayed the qualities that, when fit, make him an irreplaceable member of this squad. Able to break up the play at one end and link it up at the other, it was great to see him back in a Germany shirt.
Mesut Özil – 7
Özil was calm in possession as he pulled the strings in typically graceful fashion. However, with Germany's impetus often coming down the wings and England sitting deep, the Arsenal playmaker wasn't at his influential peak against England and was outshone by midfield partner Gündogan.
Marcel Halstenberg – 7
Löw doesn't have a wealth of options at left-back beyond first-choice Jonas Hector and Halstenberg made a strong case for himself on his debut. He'll need to get a few more games under his belt to be in real contention, but the Leipzig man made a good first impression.
Julian Draxler – 4
Draxler struggled to make an impact on the game, proved wasteful in possession too often and added little value to Germany's most promising moments in the final third. The most anonymous of the three-man frontline.
Timo Werner – 4
After coming off worse in a collision with Jordan Pickford inside two minutes, Werner struggled to bounce back and was twice denied by the England keeper in one-on-one situations. The service was there, but Werner appeared to lack confidence at the crucial moments before coming off for Wagner.
Leroy Sane – 8
The Manchester City winger was Germany's biggest threat throughout the game, crashing an effort off the bar before having an shot cleared off the line by Phil Jones. Germany have been crying out for a player of his dynamism and quality on the right wing and, based on current form for club and country, he could even push for a place in Löw's starting line-up.
Substitutes:
Emre Can – 6
Came on after the hour mark to bolster Germany's midfield, which gave Özil more creative license in the final third. Can also fired wide with his only sight of goal.
Sandro Wagner – 6
Was given just over quarter of an hour to impress off the bench and, while he held up play well when required to, barely got a sniff at goal in the closing stages of the game.
Sebastian Rudy – N/A
Replaced Ilkay Gündogan with less than five minutes left to play.
Julian Brandt – N/A
Replaced Leroy Sané with less than five minutes left to play.
Winners and Losers in Germany's World Cup qualification
After not dropping a single point in their first nine matches, Germany have cruised to another World Cup qualification. Who has made himself indispensable and who has struggled? Here are DW's winners and losers.
Image: Getty Images/B. Mendes
Winner: Timo Werner
No player has risen faster in Germany's team than RB Leipzig's Timo Werner. He received his first cap back in March and now appears to be Joachim Löw's main man up front, despite missing the latest match through injury. Germany have already won a tournament - the Confederations Cup - with Werner playing up front. Can they win another in 2018?
Image: picture-alliance/GES/M. Ibo
Loser: Mario Gomez
He had a renaissance at last year's European Championship – two goals in four games – to the point where Germany fell apart when he got injured. But Gomez has played just twice in World Cup qualifying. Euro 2016 may have been the last hurrah for a striker who once again appears to have found himself down the pecking order.
Image: Reuters/F. Bensch
Winner: Lars Stindl
Several Bundesliga stars got an opportunity at the Confederations Cup, but Lars Stindl was the one who made the most of it. The Gladbach attacker received his first cap in June, and now Löw is choosing him over some more established players. With the depth Löw has in attacking midfield, Stindl may not make the World Cup squad, but he has made a strong case for his inclusion.
Image: Reuters/G. Dukor
Loser: Andre Schürrle
He assisted the winning goal in the World Cup final, but now André Schürrle can barely get on the field, for club or country. As the Dortmund forward has struggled with his form, several others have passed him on Germany's depth chart. He got two goals and an assist against Azerbaijan in March, but he looks unlikely to win another cap anytime soon.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Becker
Winner: Leon Goretzka
Germany has a plethora of central midfielders yet Leon Goretzka has still found a way to break into the squad. The Schalke midfielder was arguably Germany's best player at the Confederations Cup, scoring three goals in four starts. His spot may not be completely secure if Ilkay Gündogan and Julian Weigl return strongly from injury, but he has certainly made the decision tougher for Löw.
Image: picture-alliance/GES/M. Gilliar
Loser: Julian Brandt
After a strong performance at last year's Olympics and a solid season with Leverkusen, Julian Brandt seemed poised for an extended run in Germany's first team. But it wasn't to be. He made just one start at the Confederations Cup and played poorly in the World Cup qualifier against Czech Republic last month. Considering Germany's depth, he may need to wait a little longer for his World Cup debut.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/T. Eisenhuth
Winner: Marc-Andre ter Stegen
The back-up goalkeeper spot is no longer up for grabs. Marc-André ter Stegen has secured his place behind Manuel Neuer after another solid performance against the Czech Republic. He was named as starter after just two matches at the Confed Cup, a tournament where Löw was supposedly going to try out several players. In truth ter Stegen has made the number two spot his own.
Image: Reuters/G. Dukor
Losers: Kevin Trapp and Bernd Leno
With Neuer injured, 2017 was the year these two were to solidify their standing with Germany. Neither of them have. Bernd Leno (right) made two big errors in his only Confed Cup start. Kevin Trapp (left) got his first cap in June, but a lack of first team football at Paris Saint-Germain may be his downfall. The pair's issues mean the third goalkeeper spot in the World Cup squad up for grabs.
His performances with Germany have been far from perfect and he may not live up to the €35 million ($40.3 million) price tag placed on him when he signed for Chelsea in July but Rüdiger he seems to have Löw's backing. He has played in seven of Germany's 10 matches in 2017 and although he may not be in the country's top tier of central defenders, he appears to be in the mix if injury strikes.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Becker
Losers: Niklas Süle and Jonathan Tah
A year ago, the two seemed to be Germany's defensive future - Jonathan Tah made the Euro 2016 squad while Niklas Süle (left) played at the Olympics. But neither has made a big enough recent impact to warrant a spot in the World Cup squad. Tah has had injury problems but even Matthias Ginter, who was not good enough for Dortmund, seems to be ahead of the youngsters.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/A. Nasyrov
Somewhere in between: Thomas Müller
He has scored five goals in World Cup qualifying, so it may seem harsh to call him a loser. But Müller hasn't moved past his Euro 2016 woes, so he's not a winner either. His recent decline with Bayern Munich doesn't seem to have carried over too much in the national team, but he's still not the Müller Germany fans know. Hopefully he becomes a winner in 2018, or Germany may not be winning anything.
