One of football's most fierce rivalries is upon us.
On Tuesday 29th June 2021, England will come up against Germany at Wembley – a fixture that not only has the two nations talking, but the rest of the world also.
England have endured a vast array of emotions when facing Germany in the past, ranging from the hardest heartbreaks to the most exuberant ecstasy – with most games delivering unforgettable moments.
And whilst England's overall head-to-head record against Germany is fairly even, it is fair to say that the opposition have had the greater of the success when it comes to international tournaments.
But just how well have the sides fared in their illustrious histories?
-
Overall record:
As of the sides' last meeting in 2017, a game in which England came from two goals down to claim a dramatic 3-2 victory, England have faced Germany in a total of 32 official matches.
The Three Lions have won on 13 of those occasions, with the Germans claiming the bragging rights 15 times. With only five draws between the sides, the overall record between the two international heavyweights is perhaps much tighter than most would assume.
The first time the two sides met in an official game was in Berlin back in 1930, with the sides entertaining a 3-3 draw.
-
Record in competitive games
Despite the fact that the fierce rivalry has conjured up a fairly even pattern in the overall record, the balance of results in competitive fixtures lies heavily in Germany's favour.
Competitive games include fixtures at major tournaments and qualifiers – and there have been 11 meetings between the sides in these matches.
England have only managed to get the better of the Germans on a mere three occasions, whilst the Germans have doubled that return with six victories – the other two games resulted in a draw.
The first time in which the two sides met was the famous 1966 World Cup final, held at Wembley stadium – a game in which Geoff Hurst scored a hat-trick as England won 4-2 to lift their first and only World Cup.
After that, however, the Germans began to dominate against England, as they did against the rest of the world also.
The next three decades saw England fail to win in any of the following six fixtures between the sides – with Germany winning two World Cups and a European Championship in the process.
England fans thought their nation had ended Germany's period of dominance as The Three Lions inflicted a ruthless 5-1 defeat on their nemesis during the qualifying campaign for the 2002 World Cup.
However, the joy of this result was short-lived as normal business was resumed at the 2010 world cup – a game in which Germany swept England aside with a 4-1 result. England fans will not look back on this game fondly, as not only did their side get humiliated, but it was also the match that featured the Frank Lampard goal that wasn't.
This was the most recent competitive game between two of the world's most talented football nations, with the four friendlies since being evenly balanced.
-
Trophy record:
Unfortunately for England fans, their nation has a far subsidiary trophy collection than that of Germany's.
Yes, England won their one and only world cup against Germany themselves, but it has been nothing but one way traffic since then.
Not only have England failed to secure another World Cup to their name, they have also been unable to win the European Championship or Confederations Cup.
During this prolonged period of time, the Germans have seen their side lift four World Cups, three European Championships, and a Confederations Cup to add to an extremely impressive haul.
So, as we approach the highly-anticipated clash between the two international heavyweights, there is much to be desired from England at international tournaments.
And although the clash is only the Round of 16 and there would be lots of football still to played after the match, both sides would have a favourable run to the final should they progress.
Perhaps it would be a bit bold to assume that the winner is guaranteed a place in the final, but victory on Tuesday would be a huge step towards a potentially historic tournament for the winner.