It will be littered with substitutions, players will pull out with minor injuries, and the result means very little. It is still England and Germany. A great rivalry, a rivalry that will be played out under the Wembley arch on Friday night.
England play host to the world champions. A world champion team with a plethora of talent, but a team that has vastly changed since the 2014 World Cup. The next generation are highly regarded, though they still have plenty to prove in comparison with the older heads that guided the team to lift the trophy in Brazil.
Gareth Southgate has left out a few regular names, and plumped for some significantly fresher faces. A pair of Tottenham Harries pulled out on Monday, but there was still no place for the over-discussed Jack Wilshere. Tammy Abraham, Joe Gomez and Ruben Loftus-Cheek could all make their debuts after impressing in the Premier League this season.
These matches have regularly been a provoker of enthusiasm in tournament seasons. A drab victory can be painted as a success against the world’s best, and, the next thing you know, England are being tipped for a run into the depths of the World Cup. Such is the widespread pessimism at this juncture, that is unlikely.
This match should be seen as an educational process for Southgate, just as it will be for Joachim Loew. Southgate should be giving debuts to the new boys on the block, and, he should be reaching a verdict on some players.
The former under-21s manager has been criticised for his safety-first approach thus far. Anything else could seem reckless against the Germans, but this is an opportunity to show he has other ideas. England have plenty of attacking talent. We could see it thrive against an opposition willing to dominate possession. The hosts are at a tempting 17/10 to score over 1.5 goals.
With no Kane to lean on in the goal scorer markets, Germany’s Timo Werner is the pick at 7/4 to score any time. The rapid RB Leipzig forward might have a bit of fun against a potentially experimental England back line.
Germany were typically ruthless in the qualification group stages. We are unlikely to see quite the same on Friday evening, though, as was seen when England snatched a 3-2 win prior to the 2016 European Championships. England’s 2/1 price to win the match is a decent one as a result, despite friendlies being notoriously tough to predict with absences and unpredictable managerial decisions.
After the turgid football that saw England widely criticised during qualifying, we will at least see some top level quality at Wembley. A smattering of the world’s best players will be in action, and a fair few players who will be playing for a spot on the plane to Russia next summer.
The result might mean as good as zilch, but this match has the potential to be far more interesting than the vast majority of England matches. For that alone, it’s something to anticipate in this fortnight break from club football.
TIP: Match to finish 2-2 @ 12/1
*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*
