Germany earned their first and only win of the SheBelieves Cup as they defeated England and their chances of winning the competition in a 1-0 victory in their last match. Anja Mitta's goal on the stroke of half-time proved to be the difference between the two sides.

The pressure was on England as they approached the match needing a win to give them a chance of becoming champions, whilst Germany were playing for pride following scoring no goals in their two previous fixtures in the Cup.

Early chances for both sides

The Lionesses came fast out of the blocks, making their intentions clear from the start that they weren't going to mess around. A cluster of early chances were created for Mark Sampson's side with the Germans looking lackluster and unprepared, yet none really testing Laura Benkarth.

Karen Carney had a shot blocked by the keeper early in the half following some good play down the left flank. The play looked promising but they just couldn't seem to provide any lethal ability in the final third.

A spell of attractive play by Germany showed a glimpse of their class, despite the disappointing tournament. It was evident that they were growing into the game however England set up in a good defensive shape to prevent any real threat.

The first real chance of the game fell to an unmarked Anja Mittag who rifled her first-time shot inside the box way over the bar - a real let off for the Lionesses. The shot should've at least of been on target, but some impressive football meant Germany could grow in confidence. England fought back as they rook over the dominance in possession but it seemed like they were missing a cutting edge.

Germany up the tempo

Dzsenifer Marozsan took a bursting run down the center of the pitch from her own half into Chamberlain's territory, however thanks to England's back line the ball was finally cleared up.

Germany continued to look dangerous in the attacking third - notably a Sara Dabrtiz chance as she could've got herself into a goal-scoring opportunity if it wasn't for her poor first touch that took her away from the goal. England were looking unrecognisable compared to their opening display, with them being forced to drop back deep which opened up the play for Germany, giving them more opportunities.

Chance after chance was created for team in white and black, and it was Marozsan again with a stunning hit that smashed off the crossbar to Chamberlains satisfaction. The Lionesses roared back with it not being long before it was there turn to have clear-cut chance. Toni Duggan fooled the defender to impressively take her shot off, but a lack of power made it easy for Benkarth to collect the ball with no problem whatsoever.

As the second half beckoned, more chances came Germany's way. From a free-kick, Alexandra Popp's close-range header appeared to have put them a goal up before the half-time break, but the ball had in fact hit the side netting.

However it wasn't long after that England found themselves a goal down, and it wasn't a false alarm this time round; Germany took the lead in the 44th minute thanks to a fabulous piece of play involving Däbritz and SC Freiburg's Lina Magull that resulted in a precise and lethal finish from Mittag. The goal was well deserved with England failing to cut out the deadly threat that they were causing, with it only being a matter of time before they were going to take the lead.

Scrappy second half

The second half started with a strong England display once again; Fara Williams completed a pass to Jordan Nobbs who saw her powerful shot go wide of the left post within the first couple of minutes after the restart.

Sloppy mistakes at the back for England resulted in Germany capitalising, with a string of half-chances not proving any real threat. Both sides hadn't been on sharp form which could not be helped by state of some parts of the worn down pitch that looked a neusonce to play on.

Possession didn't last long for either team, as wayward passes and a lack of a clinical presence going forward was on the agenda. It was Germany that started to get on the front foot, looking the more dangerous out of the two sides despite some glimpses of good play from the Lionesses.

Carney's in-swinging free-kick landed on the head of Ellen White, but she was unable to get any power or direction on the ball towards to guide it into the net.

Germany on top

Germany provided a strong response with numerous chances - Mittag was once again unmarked inside the box, but her failed header sailed just over the bar. Their lead should have been doubled but their dominance continued deep into the second half with the majority of possession going to the side in the lead.

A neat piece of dribbling from Däbritz dazzled the England players as she made it look easy. Her subsequent shot was blocked by the defense of England before it could reach anywhere near the goal.

The Lionesses began to play more freely with some exiting pieces of play, including a Nobbs' cross allowing Duggan a chance at a volley. She made poor contact with the ball as the ball was guided in the opposite direction of the goal.

The counter attack suited England, with some more opportunities being created. A break away led to a through ball that reached the feet of Duggan, however her square pass didn't reach a white shirt.

The final minutes of the game was pretty much all Germany whilst the Lionesses looked fatigued. A late chance did occur though in the 90th minute with Jill Scott. Her late run into the box saw a shot that was deflected by a Germany defender.

Unlucky England

As it stands, England sit bottom of the table, whereas Germany are placed in second. No matter what the result of the fixture this evening, the Lionesses will remain in fourth place with goal difference letting them down.

The final SheBelieves Cup fixture kicks off at 00:00 GMT 8th February. Germany could potentially drop down to third if USA grab the three points against France. A draw would mean that USA and Germany would fall on equal points and goal difference.

France can afford to draw and they'd still lift the SheBelieves Cup as winners, whilst USA need the three points to win the retain their status in the competition.

Despite a bottom place finish, England have played well throughout the tournament. They didn't deserve a loss in their opening match, and showed their ability by beating world champions in a more than impressive performance.

Germany have had an up and down tournament - their loss against USA was deserved, however a win would've been an accurate representation of the match where they drew 0-0 to France. Considering their managerial shift, they will be pleased with their performance at the Cup.

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