Harry Kane brings up a half-century to close in on Wayne Rooney’s all-time England record in Germany stalemate
Harry Kane has brought up a half-century of strikes for England to move a step closer to Wayne Rooney’s all-time record of 53 after coolly slotting past Manuel Neuer in his nation’s 1-1 draw with Germany.
The Three Lions were under the cosh for much of the contest at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena, trailing the Nations League tie heading into the final few minutes after Jonas Hofmann broke the deadlock on the 50-minute mark to hand Germany a deserved lead.
An average of 0.7 goals per game in an England shirt. https://t.co/asUHqc9yuw
— Squawka (@Squawka) June 7, 2022
Hansi Flick’s men were well-drilled and appeared disciplined as England tried to find openings and sustain a consistent period of passing dominance, but the hosts swarmed them frequently and prevented Gareth Southgate’s men from finding their groove.
At the back, Germany’s defensive trio of Antonio Rudiger, Nico Schlotterbeck and Lukas Klostermann were resilient and watertight. That is, until Borussia Dortmund’s latest signing exhibited a momentary lapse of concentration to hand England a gift.
As the ball squirmed forward Kane, quick on his heels, spun to case a lost cause, before collapsing to the ground in what appeared to be a clumsy altercation with Schlotterbeck, but the referee remained unmoved as Leroy Sane darted up the other end of the pitch.
However, upon consultation with VAR, Carlos del Cerro was advised to check the monitor, and he duly awarded the penalty after adjudging Schlotterbeck to have inadvertently caught the back of Kane’s leg. The Tottenham marksman was presented with a golden opportunity.
Ever-reliable from the spot Kane, who struggled to find clean openings against Germany, duly dispatched to hand England an important point ahead of their next Nations League match against Italy, taking some of the pressure off their opening-day defeat to Hungary.
The goal means Kane has now entered 50-goal territory for England, moving clear of Bobby Charlton, whom he had previously sat level with, and now only three behind Rooney, who currently has the record for most Three Lions finishes on 53.
At just 28, it feels an inevitability that Kane will eventually surpass his former international team-mate and consolidate his status as England’s most prolific marksman ever.
They all count, but this was an important strike for Southgate’s men
