Germany 2-3 England, International friendly 2016: as it happened

Well lets the ridiculous predictions and outrageous expectations begin ahead of the European Championships. England stage a terrific second half comeback against a half-baked Germany side, but there were errors in there too. England host Netherlands on Tuesday and that will be another opportunity to look at the players at Roy Hodgson's disposal.

That is all we have time for from Berlin. We're back with live coverage of England vs Netherlands on Tuesday but until then, goodbye.

Full time: Germany 2-3 England

No points or silverware on offer but England comeback from two goals down to defeat world champions Germany in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. Toni Kroos and Mario Gomez put the hosts ahead, but triggered by Harry Kane's strike, Jamie Vardy and Eric Dier's first England goals, give Roy Hodgson food for thought with a fine moral-boosting win. What could that do for England's young squad?

Goal: Germany 2-3 England (Eric Dier)

The comeback is complete and there are more celebration from England in Berlin. Jordan Henderson whips a free-kick in, easily is best of the night, and Eric Dier plants a fine header past Neuer. Three goals in under half an hour and Germany have been shocked on their own patch.

Entering the close minutes in Berlin where it has been a very encouraging evening for Roy Hodgson. A draw away at the world champions with a fine performance would have been just what the doctor ordered from an England point of view. Several encouraging displays to mention too.

What a chance to win it for England! Jamie Vardy nicks the ball off the Germany back four and squares the ball to Alli who with an open goal skies it over. Amazing miss from a player who has been faultless tonight.

Danny Welbeck has had ice applied to his left knee, bit a worry having suffered from a similar problem for nearly nine months. Corner for England again comes to nothing but Alli wins a throw down by the right.

Yellow card for Eric Dier for what has been the umpteenth foul, though it has been a largely encouraging showing from the Tottenham man. Into the last ten minutes in Berlin.

Goal: Germany 2-2 England (Jamie Vardy)

England are level and what a goal to cap what has been a fine performance. Clyne cross from the right and Vardy gets ahead of the ball but flicks it beyond Neuer, regarded as the best goalkeeper on the planet. The Leicester strikers's first England goal that. Can England go on and win it now?

Jamie Vardy and Ross Barkley on for Danny Welbeck and Adam Lallana. Roy Hodgson really going for this.

Barkley and Vardy being prepped as England win a free-kick 25 yards from goal as Kane is fouled. The visitors have come alive since the goal but Kane only hits the wall. England go again but Alli is denied by Neuer.

Goal: Germany 2-1 England (Harry Kane)

England back in business and a poignant goal in so many ways. Harry Kane has his back go goal but a delicious cruyff turn and shot flies past Neuer. A fabulous tribute to the late Dutch legend, and another message to Roy Hodgson over his selection in attack.

Goal: Germany 2-0 England (Mario Gomez)

Clinical from the world champions. Mario Gomez glances home from Khedira's cross, which went over Gary Cahill and nods home his first international goal for four years.

England really should be level now. Welbeck nicks the ball off Can and after overlooking Kane ,Henderson arrives on cue and it just hits Hector and goes over. Big chance.

Free-kick from Marco Reus is a good one and though it doesn't make contact with anyone in the box, Forster is forced into turn the ball over his own bar. His big frame assisting with that one.

Correction, Barkley and Walker held back for now but both players were warming up at the break. Expect changes to come on the hour mark.

Teams out for the second half. Can England keep this up and get what would be a well-earned equaliser? Kyle Walker and Ross Barkley coming on for England. Jonathan Tah on to make his Germany debut at centre-back.

Half time: Germany 1-0 England

A sour ending to an encouraging first half display from England. An injured Jack Butland failed to keep out Toni Kroos' near-post shot and Germany have a led that though they deserve, has come amid some bouts of pressure from the away side. England have impressed but their inexperience has showed, with Butland not clearing the ball out and gifting it back to Germany to open the scoring.

Goal: Germany 1-0 England (Toni Kroos)

Jack Butland injures himself after going down awkwardly and from his latest clearanc Germany regain the ball and punish the Stoke stopper. Germany build an attack and Kroos runs untracked and shoots at Butland's near post, and the ball flies past him. An unfortunate moment.

Danny Rose's free-kick from the left is a poor one but he works it well with Henderson before his cross is cleared and Germany survive another England attack. The world champions have not been at the races tonight, even if they should be ahead.

Another England near miss as they pinch the ball in the Germany half. Kane picks out Welbeck, who is pick-pocketted by Lallana but it falls to Lallana who misses the target from 20 yards. Probably the best chance the visitors have created.

Ball in the net for Germany but it has been chalked off by the assistant referee who raises his flag. Khedira turns the ball around the corner and Gomez peels away and finishes past Butland, but looks up to see the flag up. Replays show the Besiktas was being played on by Nathaniel Clyne on the far side. Let off for England.

England offering plenty of problems to this Germany team and Kane almost picks out Dele Alli as he escapes. Welbeck's shot is then blocked before Kane's flick can't find the Arsenal forward. Lacking a final ball are the away side, but the build-up play is sublime.

Half a chance for England as Lallana wins the ball in the German half. Clyne storms forward but his low across is behind the Liverpool man. Not a bad opening 20 minutes from Hodgson's side.

Dele Alli is not far from the action he has lashes one goalwards but over the top after Kane had fed Welbeck. Lively start at both ends as the debate over the Americanisation of England's away kit continues.

Dele Alli has already left his mark on Sami Khedira and now he escapes in behind the German back-four, is found by Gary Cahill but instead of taking the ball down he opts to head it first time and Neuer collects the ball with ease.

Another opening for Germany as Mario Gomez heads on from Can's cross and it goes for corner for a hosts. From it, Jack Butland betas Hummels to the loose ball before Marco Reus drags his effort wide.

Plenty of criticism being directed towards Nike, the manufacturers of this latest England kit which is sported by Roy Hodgson's side in Berlin tonight. It has to be said, it is entirely justified.

Corner for the visitors as Reus loops the ball behind from an England throw. Cahill and Smalling forward and it is the Chelsea centre-back who makes contact and it hits Kane who had gambled for the second ball but he can't reign it in.

England survive an early German foray at Sami Khedira of all people finds himself in the box and it takes Clyne's block to take the ball over the bar.

Correction to my previous comment, those fans who disrupted the first 20 seconds or so of that minute's silence were understood to be Germany. Apologies.

Fair to say there was some unruly fans, I think English, who disrupted the start of that period of silence. That, coming after the booing of both national anthems, is a sad start to proceedings. Under way in Berlin, with both sides in their changed strips of black and red.

Both teams link arms to observe a minute's silence to mark the events in Brussels on Tuesday morning. Another moment where football unites amid the atrocities elsewhere.

As the passionate 'heart on the sleeve' singing goes from the England players during the national anthem, credit goes to Jack Butland and Gary Cahill. Dele Alli, Danny Rose and Nathaniel Clyne must do better ahead of France in the summer.

Teams are out for the pre-match pleasantries and the anthems.

Players in the tunnel, some players via the escalator and other down the stairs in Berlin. A very funny way of reaching the playing surface. Both sides on the way.

Roy Hodgson on ITV: "Germany are world champions and we are expecting a tough task tonight. For both teams it is the type of game that we need as look to learn a lot ahead of the summer. It is an incredible opportunity for them. We have an average age of 24 and what we are looking to see if these guys have the confidence to play football how we know they are capable of. If we get good answer it will help us and stand us in good stead as we head to France."

Ryan Bertrand misses out tonight due to injury, but he is supporting England from home tonight...

Around a quarter of an hour until we get going in Berlin. Will this friendly provide us with a bit of entertainment, or work as a mid-season warm-down in the first half before becoming dis-jointed substitute riddled affair in the second period? Here;s hoping for the first.

There are just 161 caps between England's starting eleven tonight but is that too inexperienced for a team heading into a major finals? On the one hand a youth side playing with reckless abandon could be effective in a tournament England have little hope of winning however a few harrowing defeats, not least to Wales, and a group stage exit could a harrowing early mark on the career of so many encouraging individuals. How they go tonight but give Hodgson all the answers he need ahead of the summer.

Both sides will wear black armbands tonight in memory of Johan Cruyff, who passed away on Thursday. Let's hope we have a game which pays tribute to the chief promoter of total football.

While England's senior side are in action in Berlin, the Under-21s face a Euro 2017 qualifier against Switzerland in Thun. The visitors have just taken the lead through Chuba Akpom early in the second half. We'll keep an eye on that game which is due to end around the time we kick-off in the German capital.

So what are the main things Roy Hodgson will be looking to learn tonight? Without Joe Hart, can Jack Butland be trusted against big-name international opposition? Can Eric Dier be the answer to England's troubles in defensive midfield? And in the absence of Wayne Rooney, can Harry Kane be the first choice alternative, or even partner for the skipper? An important two games ahead.

Worth mentioning that England's team is as it was suggested by Roy Hodgson, and there are no injuries with a full bench which includes Daniel Sturridge and Jamie Vardy named in Berlin. We look forward to seeing them amid the flurry of second half changes.

Even without Bastain Schweinsteiger and Max Kruise that is a very impressive team named by Joachim Loew. Mario Gomez leads the attack for the Germans in front of a trio of Mesut Ozil, Marco Reus and Thomas Muller; arguably the best international attacking trio on the planet. Liverpool's Emra Can is at right-back while Manuel Neuer starts in goal.

Team news:

Germany: Neuer; Can, Rüdiger, Hummels, Hector; Kroos, Khedira; Müller, Özil, Reus; Gomez

Germany's route into Euro 2016 may have been without alarm but it was far from routine. Drawn with Poland, Republic of Ireland and Scotland among others, Joachim Loew's side won seven of their 10 group games, losing twice to Poland and Ireland on the road. They may not have been invincible since winning the World Cup two years ago but they remain a scalp for Roy Hodgson's men tonight.

England start their preparations for the European Championships tonight in Berlin, but face four other games before their opening game against Russia in June. Netherlands travel to Wembley next Tuesday before three games after Roy Hodgson has confirmed his squad on 12 May.

Turkey are the visitors to the Etihad Stadium on 22 May, Australia take on Hodgson's men at the Stadium of Light on 27 May before Portugal travel to Wembley on 2 June in the final game before the finals kick-off.

This of course is day four of seven in this week's international calendar so let's have a look at some of the more notable results. Italy and Spain drew 1-1 in Udine while Wales and Northern Ireland also played out a stalemate in Cardiff. Last night, France beat Netherlands 3-2 despite the summer's hosts at one time surrendering a two-goal lead. One of the shock results however saw Portugal beaten by Bulgaria.

Team news from the German camp on the way....

We await for confirmation of the teams but we already know how England are likely to line-up. Roy Hodgson will give starts to four Tottenham players in the form of Danny Rose, Eric Dier, Dele Alli and Harry Kane in an experimental yet exciting team to face the world champions. No Joe Hart or Wayne Rooney means Jack Butland will start in goal and Gary Cahill will skipper the side.

England: Butland, Clyne, Smalling, Cahill, Rose, Dier, Henderson, Welbeck, Alli, Lallana, Kane.

Just 77 days until England take their bow in the European Championships, manager Roy Hodgson is running out of time to formulate his squad for the summer finals. In the first of five games before their opening game against Russia on 11 June, England take on world champions Germany who are one of the leading contenders heading into this summer and in the absence of several experienced heads have rung the changes. It may be sobering evening on the continent given the events of the last week in the Belgium capital Brussels, but it is times such as these when football shows it can be a power for good. Updates and team news on the way.