In the end, what was extraordinary was how straightforward it all seemed. England, with its slow, methodical buildup, held Germany at arm’s length and, although it took an age to break through, it turned out Jogi Löw’s side had no response. Tuesday's 2–0 win in the Euro 2020 round of 16 at Wembley Stadium felt nervy became it took so long to arrive, but in truth it was all quite comfortable enough for the hosts.
England games are always played out with the baggage of history, particularly against Germany. The rivalry may be largely one-sided given Germany’s domination of games between the sides since 1966, but that does not mean there is not an extra edge, at least on the English side.